Akwa Ibom State Government has dismissed a medical doctor and a nurse following the maternal and newborn deaths at the General Hospital, Ikot Ekpene, an incident that sparked widespread outrage.
The Commissioner for Health in the state, Ekem John, stated this on Friday while receiving an award from the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Akwa Ibom State Council, said the affected health workers were absent from duty when a pregnant woman in active labour was rushed to the hospital months ago, leading to the death of both the mother and her baby.
“We’ve had a doctor dismissed. I’m sure some of you know that what happened at the General Hospital, Ikot Ekpene led to the dismissal of the doctor and the nurse who were supposed to be there but were not there,” he said.
He added that, beyond outright dismissal, other health workers had also faced disciplinary action, including demotion, after appearing before the Civil Service Commission’s disciplinary committee.
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Akwa Ibom Dismisses doctor, nurse over death of woman, newborn during childbirth
Straightnews had published that the Ikot Ekpene incident involved a pregnant woman who reportedly arrived at the General Hospital in labour but was left unattended due to the absence of medical personnel.
Both the woman and her newborn later died, igniting public anger, protests on social media and calls for accountability from civil society groups and professional bodies.
The incident drew widespread outrage and condemnation when the victim’s sister, Ndifreke Amos, posted a video on Facebook after the death of a 32-year-old Mrs. Ndiana Sunday Amos and her baby d!ed last weekend over alleged negligence by medical personnel at Ikot Ekpene General Hospital, that left the deceased unattended to for three hours.
Following the deaths, Dr. John, had in September 2025 assured that the government would not shield anybody culpable in the incident.
The Commissioner described the deaths as unfortunate, but defended the competence of the medical team.
He confirmed that Governor Umo Eno had already set up a 14-member investigative panel to determine the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
