By BANNERNEWS Reporter, Calabar
The Cross River State Police Command has detained a theatre assistant over an alleged unauthorised hernia surgery performed on a 60-year-old man at a private clinic in Ekori, Yakurr Local Government Area.
The patient, identified as Ukpan, is said to have developed complications three days after the procedure, prompting his transfer to Ugep General Hospital.
Police said the surgery was performed on September 8 and the patient was discharged the same day.
The complications reportedly became a concern on September 11, when Bassey Otu Bassey, 33, took the patient to Ugep General Hospital for treatment.
But while at the hospital, members of the patient’s family allegedly turned on Bassey, raising questions about his professional status and his role in the surgery.
The police said officers quickly intervened to prevent the situation from degenerating into mob action and took Bassey to Ugep Police Division for questioning.
According to the police, Bassey reportedly disclosed during preliminary interrogation that he was a theatre assistant who carried out the procedure in the absence of his principal.
The command said it was now investigating whether the suspect was professionally qualified to perform the procedure and the circumstances that led to him undertaking the surgery.
Police are also investigating the nature of the patient’s complications and whether they were caused or aggravated by the procedure.
The command, however, cautioned against jumping to conclusions, stressing that no determination had been made on criminal responsibility or the actual cause of the patient’s condition.
It warned residents against jungle justice, saying any person found culpable after due investigation would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
