Missing twin saga: There was only one baby, our scan erred - 37 Military Hospital

The management of the 37 Military Hospital has reportedly said that its investigation into an allegation of a missing twin in the hospital by a couple disclosed that there was only one baby in the womb of the mother.

According to the hospital, the scan they performed that showed that the couple was expecting twins was an error.

The management, therefore, apologised to the couple and promised to give them a copy of the report from their investigation into the matter on Friday, ghanaiantimes.com.gh reports.

The report indicated that the hospital disclosed these details at a meeting held on Monday with senior military officers, including the Chief of Staff (COS) at the General Headquarters (GHQ) of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Major General Nicholas Peter Andoh, and the family of Daniel Naawu – husband of the woman who was expecting twins - at the Burma Camp in Accra.

The Ghanaians Times also stated that the doctor who took care of the wife of Daniel Naawu during her delivery on September 8, 2022, Dr Ali Saine, a senior obstetrician and gynaecologist, was also at the meeting

The Naawu family, which was led by the legendary Ghana goalkeeper, John Naawu, grilled Dr. Saine on the supposed missing twin and the ultrasound scan taken at the hospital after 31 weeks of pregnancy.

The report indicated that Dr Saine told the family that he, himself, was surprised when he realised the mother had only one baby because the scan showed twins.

He said that the initial diagnosis conducted at the Cerica Diagnostic Services that suggested the wife of Naawu, Audrey Agyapong, was carrying double foetuses was wrong.

He added that the scan conducted by the 37 Military Hospital after the 31 weeks which also suggested the Agyapong was carrying twins was also error-ridden.

“We will not shield anybody who tries to bring the military’s name into disrepute.

“But we’re a human institution; such errors are bound to occur, and would be guided by this going into the future,” the doctor is quoted as having said by ghanaiantimes.com.gh.

However, the Times reported that Dr Eric Otu-Danquah, Technical Director and Radiologist at the Cerica Diagnostic Centre, refuted Dr Saine's claim that their first scan, which indicated Agyapong was carrying a twin, was an error.

“We are not saying we are infallible, but to the best of our knowledge, we were diligent in our delivery.

“It’s unfortunate they came to that conclusion. I have my contact numbers on the scan report in the possession of Ms Agyapong; so they could have called to crosscheck if they had any doubts,” Dr Otu-Danquah is quoted to have told the Ghanaian Times.

Background:

In a painstaking investigative story carried out by the Ghanaian Times on Wednesday, January 18, 2023, the couple narrated how they went to the 37 Military Hospital expecting twins only to be handed one baby after delivery and thus suspected foul play.

Ultrasound checks done 31 weeks into the gestation period at two medical facilities, including the 37 Military Hospital, showed that one Ms. Audrey Agyapong was carrying two live foetuses (twins).

The first scan report, which was signed by Dr Otu Danquah, was conducted on April 22, 2022, at the Cerica Diagnostic Services when the pregnancy was 20 weeks old.

Its results showed live intrauterine (inside the uterus) fetuses.

A second ultrasound performed on July 21, 2022, at the 37 Military Hospital and signed by Drs. M.T. Mpetey and R. Asiedu, a resident and senior physician, respectively, confirmed the earlier scan's results, with twins A and B weighing 269 and 261 grams, respectively.

“In all, we did four different scans, all showing I was carrying live twins and it is baffling that one could disappear at birth,” Ms Agyapong told the Ghanaian Times.

Explaining further, she said that on September 7, 2022, when her gestation period was 38 weeks, she was admitted to the 37 Military Hospital, where her vitals were taken and two foetal heart beats were confirmed as normal.

In a follow-up story by the Ghanaian Times on Friday, January 20, 2023, the couple was informed that the placenta tissue of Ms Agyapong, had been sent to Italy for further examinations.

The exercise, according to the Military Hospital, was to determine whether the 38-year-old woman was to deliver twins.



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