Patient safety in maternity: The Nigerian context

Background: The death of Folake Oduyoye at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Nigeria on 13th December 2014 triggered a protest march against the hospital, by a coalition of civil society organizations and human rights activists, and a legal suit was instituted against the government. Although a Federal High Court ruled in 2018 to overturn Oduyoye's case on a technicality, this ruling is currently being appealed. Objective: To perform a sociological analysis of the Oduyoye/LUTH case and another managed in OAUTHC Ile-Ife; as a means of providing insight into the current state of patient safety in maternity, in Nigeria. Methodology: This sociological analysis was conducted using secondary data, sourced from a combination of detailed online searches of published literature, news items, and social media posts; along with personal observations and reviews of patient's records. Results: Patient safety issues in maternity are prevalent in Nigeria. Responsible macrosociological factors include lack of clarity regarding the political economy of healthcare in Nigeria, dubious justiciability of citizens' right to healthcare, poor resource allocation to healthcare, and dismal coverage of national health insurance, along with poor regulation of health services, and nonintegration of healthcare with partner social institutions. At the mesosociological and microsociological levels are lack of public confidence in Nigerian healthcare, gross infrastructural decay from chronic neglect, understaffing and inadequate training of personnel, lack of institutional risk management and clinical governance. Conclusion: The state of patient safety in maternity in Nigeria is quite worrisome. Various sociological factors were identified and viable solutions proffered.