By Catherine Egwuom
A Senior Medical Officer, Dr Babatope Adeoya, says mentally stable women have rights to sign consent forms for their own surgeries without waiting for a spouse’s signature.
Adeoya, a Senior Medical Officer, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Isolo General Hospital, Lagos spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Thursday.
He advised women to also be financially prepared in case of emergencies, should their partners refuse to take responsibility.
He said: “The main factor is the woman, it is her life that is at risk. The way forward is to encourage women to save up money in case of emergencies and spousal refusal.
“Most women that know their rights, will tell you, ‘doctor, I will sign I have saved some money’. I have seen a case like this.”
Also speaking with NAN, Dr Vincent Nweze, a Family Physician at Outreach Women and Children’s Hospital, Okota, underscored the need for consent in medicine and life threatening situations.
According to him, the lives of both mother and child are paramount.
Nweze emphasised the need for trust building by healthcare professionals during antenatal.
“During the course of antenatal, the woman is educated on what to expect in every trimester. She develops trust in healthcare providers.
“With this kind of relationship, we are able to advise them well, especially when we see problems ahead.
“This gives the woman the opportunity to reassess her life to figure out if she is ready to stay alive to train the child she wants to deliver,” he said.
The family physician believed that female education would help build the female child and help her become aware of herself, as well as stay away from relationships that could make her vulnerable.
Some women who had had surgeries also spoke with NAN.
Many of them said they were aware that they could give consent for their own surgeries, in the instance that their spouse refused or was unavailable to sign.
Mrs Nelly Okafor, said she was booked for an elective Caesarean Sections(CS) and was ready to sign if her husband had not been around.
She said her husband was the person who eventually gave the consent.
Mrs Grace Roberts, another woman who had surgery, told NAN that her husband was cooperative when he was called to sign the consent form.
However, Mrs Alia Ake, told NAN that when she was scheduled for an emergency CS, her husband had refused to sign the consent form based on cultural and religious beliefs.
She said a relative who was well-informed, was the person who eventually signed the form.
According to her, it caused a rift in her marriage, requiring family members’ intervention before it was fixed.
For Mrs Eda Ukpo, she told NAN that when she had a procedure to remove fibroids, she was the one who signed the consent form for her own surgery and also paid for it, as she was estranged from her husband.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 23 of the National Health Act 2014 in Nigeria, reinforces that a patient of sound mind can sign their own consent forms , male, female with the exception of minors or individuals who are mentally incapacitated.
These exceptions require the permission of a guardian or next of kin to any medical procedure.
Similarly, the World Medical Association Declaration of Lisbon on the Rights of the Patient provides that every competent patient has the right to give or withhold consent to any medical procedure.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Vivian Ihechu
