An undisclosed hospital in Warri has detained a ten years old boy who was shot by vigilante in Orovworhon community in Udu Local Government Area of Delta.
The boy simply identified as Prince Emeghene was said to have been detained in the hospital for over six months after he was treated.
According to a statement by the chapter of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), signed by its Secretary, Comrade Jonathan Giama, and made available to our correspondent in Warri, the action of the hospital management was inhuman and a violation of the child’s rights.
According to the statement, “By detaining the child since June, 2019 till date is only inhuman and cruel, but violated the child’s right and a gross violation of chapter IV and Section 35 (1) of the 1999 constitution as amended in section 39 of the child’s Right Act 2003 and Section 40 of the Delta State Child’s Rights law (s) in Nigeria.”
Giama stated that the issue for determination was whether the hospital can unlawful incarcerate, imprisoned or detained a child who was a patient due to accumulation of unpaid hospital bills and continue to hold such child until such bills are cleared off.
“The issue of accumulation of unpaid hospital bills are issues of debt and issues of debt are civil matter which can be cured by mere filing a claim in a court of law but issues of an unlawful incarceration, imprisonment or detention of a child are issues that are criminal in nature that must not be condone by the society,” Giama stated further.
Reacting to the petition, the management of the hospital defended its action through its lawyer, Barr. Raphael Okene, Principal Partner of Chief Raphael Okene & Co, stating that its client, carried out an operation to remove the bullet from the child without an initial deposit payment.
The lawyer said the child was only given an interim bill of N860,500,00 issued to the mother of the child on the 6th of July, 2019, adding that since then, the mother had paid only N55,000,00 only.
