The partner of a woman who died after being induced to deliver a stillborn baby at the Rotunda Hospital claimed at an inquest that a midwife told him that she was “faking” her pain.
Abiola Adesina told Dublin Coroner’s Court that his partner Bimbo Onanuga (32) was “rolling” around in pain and claimed that the midwife ignored his pleas for help.
However, midwife Sheila Lynch denied that she had ever used the word “faking”.
The coroner had previously heard that the uterus of Nigerian-born Ms Onanuga had ruptured but this was not discovered until an emergency Caesarean section was carried out after she went into cardiac arrest at the Rotunda on March 4th, 2010.
Ms Onanuga, a mother of one who lived in Finglas, Dublin, died later that night in the intensive care unit of the Mater hospital.
As the inquest resumed, Mr Adesina told the court it was a “considerable blow” when they were told that their baby had died in the womb.
The inquest had previously heard that Ms Onanuga had been medically induced and discharged before returning to hospital two days later complaining of abdominal pain. The following morning she was given her first dose of misoprostol, an ulcer medication commonly used for labour induction.
Mr Adesina claimed that his partner began experiencing “severe pain” after the drug had been administered. She was internally examined by a doctor who told him that Ms Onanuga was not yet dilated. He told the doctor that “the pain seemed to be too much” but the medic was not worried, he said.
The court heard that Ms Onanuga was given pain relief at about 1.30pm. Student midwife Michael O’Brien said that she told him the pain was a four out of 10 before he administered the relief. She was also subsequently given gas.
However, Mr Adesina said t she was struggling to breathe and rolling back and forwards in the bed. He claimed that he told the midwife “many times” she had to do something and get a doctor.
“I got very angry at being ignored and I shouted and screamed at her. She said to me: ‘If Bimbo had contractions, the pain would come and then would go and she would not be in pain all the time. She is faking it’,” he said.
Mr Adesina also claimed that master of the Rotunda Dr Sam Coulter Smith had told him that his partner’s death was “due to a series of mistakes”. However, the lawyer representing the hospital, Emily Egan SC, said that Dr Coulter Smith did not accept that he said this.
Midwife Sheila Lynch denied ever using the word “faking” to Mr Adesina. She could not fully recall the incident but that she was “100 per cent clear” that she had not said it. She would “very much doubt” that she would disbelieve a patient who said that she was in pain or uncomfortable, she added. She did not remember being asked to get further assistance a number of times.
When Ms Onanuga’s condition deteriorated and her blood pressure could not be read at about 3pm, Ms Lynch ran to summon medical assistance, the court heard. Extensive resuscitation attempts followed.