LAWYER SOSU TAKES UP CASE FOR WIDOWER

Human Rights lawyer, Francis Xavier Sosu

A Human Rights Lawyer, Francis Xavier Sosu has taken up the case of Mr. Bernard Otu, the man who lost his expectant wife and unborn baby at the Madina (Kekle) Polyclinic, pledging to seek justice for the widower.

Mr. Sosu who picked up the case on pro bono basis, said he will file a suit at the Human Rights Division of the High Court before the end of the week to demand justice for the father of four.

He is therefore leading a team of lawyers from his firm, F-X Law and Associate to file a suit at the court.

Mr Sosu, known for championing  the cause of the underprivileged in the country’s law courts, said he was driven mainly by public interest and his background as a human rights lawyer to wade into the issue to give a voice to the distressed young man.

“We are heading to court and will pursue this case to the latter. The Polyclinic had a duty of care to the deceased and his husband and that is what we are out there to prove, at least to help us get things right in our health delivery system”, Mr. Sosu told the Mirror.

While he would not disclose the content of the suit until it was filed, he said he expected justice to be done at the end of the day.

Background

It would be recalled that, 38-year-old Cynthia Nuworsu, a trader and a mother of four, underwent an induction of labour at the Madina Kekle Polyclinic on Wednesday June 17 2015 and died in the process the following day after prolonged labour.

The husband described this as “medical malpractice” and a “preventable death” in breach of the duty of care owed him and the deceased.

This has since pushed him into a confrontation with the medical officers, and he is court bound.  .  

The remains of both baby and mother were interred at Dzodze in the Volta Region.

Widower’s reaction

In an interview, Mr. Otu said he was happy about the growing public interest in the issue and particularly about the intervention of these human rights lawyers.

“This must be the starting point of a more holistic assessment of our systems and the improvement of monitoring and supervision to help address the glaring lapses and to save more lives”, he said.

 Madina Police

The Madia Police have confirmed knowledge of the incident.

They indicated that after the official complaint by the widower on Friday June 19, 2015, they invited the officials of the clinic who could not show up with the excuses that they needed permission from the regional directorate.

Permission was later sought in writing by the Police Service which led to the interrogation of about five of them including one Dr. Selorm Botchwey, said to be the Ag. Medical Director of the facility.

In an interview, DSP Happy Michael Addae, who at the time of the incident was the Madina District Crime Officer (now on transfer) said, “professional negligence, as is being alledged by Mr. Otu, is a tort (civil case) which can only be taken up by the widower” adding “ We can only come on board with the findings from our investigations”.

By Henking A. Adjase-Kodjo & Seth J. Bokpe

                                                     Friday Feb 12-18, 2016 pg 3