Man Divorces 14-year-old Wife For Allowing Male Doctor Attend To Her During Delivery in Katsina

By Sola Omoniyi, Lagos

A man in Katsina State has reportedly divorced his 14-year-old wife for allowing a male medical practitioner to attend to her while giving birth to his baby.

This is according to the Executive Director, Nana Women and Girls Initiative, Dr. Fatima Adamu, who disclosed on Thursday, July 27, 2023, said the teenage mother had a complicated childbirth.

Following the complications during childbirth, she was rushed to the hospital where there was no female medical practitioner on the ground to attend to her.

The only male medical practitioner available attended to her during labour and successfully delivered her of the baby.

When the husband rushed to the hospital and realised that the medical practitioner that attended to his wife during labour was a male, he became angry and subsequently divorced her.

Adamu appealed to governments, especially state governments to ensure there was equity in the recruitment and deployment of medical personnel to rural communities.

“A 14- year old Fulani girl in Katsina State delivered and had difficulty with delivery, so we had to take her to the hospital and after the delivery, the husband divorced her because she was attended to by a man. This young girl was divorced all because she was attended to by a man during delivery,” she lamented.

The women’s rights activists lamented that Nigeria was producing medical doctors far below its need.

“There is a shortage of health workers despite the production. We are producing health workers far below our needs. Our average population growth is 3.2, but our annual production of nurses and midwives is 2.6, so definitely, there is a gap. That is the latest data available that could be accessed,” she added.