Questions over patient safety have emerged in Kano following the death of a woman during a corrective surgical procedure at a specialist health facility in the state, prompting an official investigation by health authorities.
The woman, identified as Aishatu Umar, a mother of five, died on Sunday while undergoing surgery at the Abubakar Imam Urology Centre, where doctors were reportedly attempting to remove a pair of scissors allegedly left in her abdomen during an earlier operation.
According to a relative, Abubakar Mohammed, Umar had undergone surgery at the same hospital in September 2025 and began experiencing persistent and severe abdominal pain in the months that followed. He said she repeatedly returned to the facility to seek medical attention but was reportedly given pain medication despite complaints that her condition was worsening.
Mohammed stated that diagnostic scans were only conducted days before her death, revealing the presence of the scissors in her abdomen. Plans were then made for a corrective procedure, during which she died.
The incident has drawn public attention, leading the Kano State Hospitals Management Board to launch a comprehensive probe into the circumstances surrounding the case. The board’s executive secretary, Mansur Nagoda, ordered an immediate investigation to establish what transpired before and after the initial surgery.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the board, through its spokesperson Samira Suleiman, confirmed that the inquiry would examine all medical and administrative processes connected to Umar’s treatment at the Abubakar Imam Urology Centre. The board said the investigation would be conducted in a transparent and professional manner, with appropriate action to follow should negligence be established.
