Northern Women Face Divorce, Trauma For Receiving Treatment From Male Doctors
Some Women in northern Nigeria face divorce for seeing male doctors during childbirth
In some parts of northern Nigeria, women who go into labour are expected to be attended by female doctors or nurses only. However, this is not always possible due to the shortage of female medical personnel in some hospitals. As a result, some women have to choose between risking their lives or their marriages by allowing male doctors to attend to them.
This was the case for Halima, a resident of Kizara Village in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State. She had complications during childbirth and was rushed to the Tsafe General Hospital, where there were no female doctors or nurses available. She had to let a male doctor attend to her, but she lost her baby and fell into a coma for three days. When she recovered, her husband, Garba Umar, was furious and threatened to divorce her for violating his rule.
It took the intervention of an elderly Islamic cleric, who counselled Umar and told him that Islam does not prohibit male doctors from treating female patients in emergencies, to save their 15-year-old marriage.
Halima’s experience is not unique. Hafsat, another resident of Zamfara State, also faced a similar dilemma when she went into labour and there was no female doctor or nurse around. Her husband had warned her not to see a male doctor in his absence, but she had no choice. She gave birth to a baby girl, but her husband was angry and almost divorced her. Only the pleas of family and friends prevented him from doing so.
However, not all women are lucky enough to keep their marriages after seeing male doctors during childbirth. Aminat Mukhtar, a 14-year-old mother in Zango Local Government Area of Katsina State, was divorced by her husband for the same reason. She had complications during childbirth and was attended by a male doctor, but she had a stillbirth. She lost both her baby and her husband.
Mukhtar had dropped out of school in JSS 3 to marry her suitor in 2022, but after the divorce, she decided to return to school with the help of her principal, Fatima Muhammed. She said her ambition was to become a school teacher.
These cases highlight the challenges that some women in northern Nigeria face when they need medical attention during childbirth. They also show the need for more female doctors and nurses in rural areas, as well as more awareness and education on the rights and health of women.
