The University of Portharcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) has refuted a social media report that 14 babies died in its Special Cre Baby Unit owing to the irregular power supply.
TheinterviewsNigeria through the Twitter handle of one Chijioke Ekwulu claimed that not less than 14 babies died inside incubators at the UPTH. However, the TWEET Thread has now been pulled down.
Ekwulu also alleged that some surgeries were also halted at the hospital owing to the epileptic power supply.
The Thread: ‘’Doctors suspend surgery procedures as 14 babies die at UPTH’s incubator due to power outages.
No less than 14 babies have died at the incubator of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, UPTH due to a power outage.
Reacting, the Chairman of the UPTH Medical Advisory Committee, Professor Lucky Onotal described the claim as fake news which should be ignored.
In a chat with The Cable, Onotai stated that there was no record of any baby’s death in the hospital, stressing that some people just want to spoil the hospital‘s reputation.
He, however, confirmed there were some issues with the hospital transformer but insisted it did not affect the special baby care unit, where the incubators are kept.
He said,’’ I don’t know why people like to thrive on fake news? I have said this before, nothing like that happened. People just want to tarnish the hospital’s name.’’
‘’Yes, there was a power outage, but there are special departments that have dedicated generators on standby. One of them is the special baby care unit. It is impossible for power to go out that long. If anyone died, why haven’t the mothers come forward?
‘’The hospital‘s PRO has also confirmed that it is fake news. We receive hospital statistics every day, but nothing of such has happened. People like to spread fake news like wildfire in a dry harmattan’’.