ASAFO vs. CATHOLIC HOSPITAL OF APAM [1973]DLHC2362

Date	1973-11-14
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1973]DLHC2362

EDWARD WIREDU J.

O. K. SAMPSON FOR THE PLAINTIFF.

J. B. SHORT FOR THE DEFENDANTS.

[1973]DLHC2362
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >ASAFO<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;vs. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>CATHOLIC HOSPITAL OF APAM <o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT, CAPE
COAST]<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[1973]
1 GLR 282<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">

DATE:
14 NOVEMBER 1972.<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">

O. K. SAMPSON FOR THE PLAINTIFF.<o:p></o:p>

J. B. SHORT FOR THE DEFENDANTS.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:
<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">

EDWARD WIREDU J.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT OF EDWARD WIREDU J.<o:p></o:p>By his
writ of summons issued out of this court on 17 February 1971, the plaintiff
claims against the defendant as follows:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">“The
plaintiff’s claim against the defendant is for the sum of two thousand new
cedis (N¢2,000.00) being general damages as a result of the negligence of the
defendants which negligence caused the loss of the plaintiff’s child whilst in
the care of the defendants in December 1969”.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The brief
facts of this case are that some time in December 1969 the plaintiff’s
six-week-old daughter fell sick and was taken to the defendant’s hospital for
treatment where the child was admitted as an in-patient. Because of the age of
the child it became necessary for her mother, the plaintiff’s first witness, to
sleep at the hospital in order to breast feed her. The evidence shows that the
child was on admission for about a period of five weeks. Whilst at the hospital
the child was kept in the special ward whilst the plaintiff’s first witness had
to wait at the hospital kitchen with the mothers of the other children who had
been admitted for treatment at the hospital. The evidence further shows that
the plaintiff’s daughter was fed three times a day between the hours of 5 a.m.
and 6 p.m. and that the feeding was done by the plaintiff’s first witness at
the invitation of the hospital staff on duty when it was time to feed the child
under the staff’s instructions and supervision.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
events which seemed to have sparked off the present litigation are set out in
paragraphs (4), (5) and (6) of the statement of claim filed in support of the
plaintiff’s writ and in paragraphs (1) to (8) of the statement of defence.
Paragraphs (1) to (8) of the statement of defence are as follows:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">“(1) On
16 December 1969, the plaintiff’s child accompanied by the mother and
grandmother was brought to the defendant’s hospital. At the date of admission
the child Ekua Asafoakwaa was admitted into the special ward for babies as she
was then only two weeks old. It is not the practice of the defendants to accept
babies of that age alone and in accordance with practice the mother of the
child stayed with her child from the date of admission to the day when she was
reported missing. Throughout the period of the child’s stay at the hospital the
mother fed her from the breast at three-hour intervals in common with other
inmates. he nurse on duty, Philomena Andoh, witnessed the mother fed Ekua at
midnight on the night of 13 to 14 January, 1970, and later at 3 a.m. on 14
January 1970. Later at about 5.30 a.m. whilst administering medicines to the
children, Nurse Andoh noticed that Ekua was missing from her cot. She
immediately went to the kitchen where the mother was and asked her whether the
baby was with her. And when she replied in the negative she reported the matter
to the matron who later reported the matter to the police. (7) The police
immediately arrived at the hospital and carried out their investigations.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">The
defendants say that the averments contained in the statement of claim and in
particular paragraph (4) are untrue and misleading and flatly denied”.<o:p></o:p>