A Specialist Registrar attached to Maimalari Military hospital at the headquarters of Operation Hadin Kai, 7 Division, Maiduguri, Borno state, Dr Chika Joachim Maduka has told the Special Independent Investigative Panel on Allegations of Human Rights Violations in the Counter Insurgency Operations in the North East that the hospital only manages miscarriages and not abortion of pregnancies as misrepresented by Reuters.
Dr Chika Joachim Maduka testimony followed his examination by the panel, while responding to the allegation of abortion of 10,000 pregnancies of women and girls in the course of counter insurgency operations in the North East, as alleged in the Reuters’ report.
The witness who is also an obstetrics gynaecologist stated that although the hospital carries out medical termination of pregnancies when the need arises, it abides by the standard practice.
Dr Maduka explained that in his three-year practice in the hospital he never carried out any abortion of pregnancies of women and girls as alleged in Reuters’ report.
Also, in his testimony before the panel, the Chief Nursing Superintendent and Head of Nursing Services at the hospital, Lt Colonel D Tumaka said that the hospital does not have any record of abortion.
According to the Chief Nurse, every medication administered to patients were prescribed by Doctors, and they are documented in nurses’ drug charts as a routine practice.
Reporting by Tanimu Salihu; Editing by Abdullahi Lamino