Delta seeks to probe causes of sudden deaths

From: Paul Osuyi, Asaba

Delta State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Barr. Peter Mrakpor, has said that an Executive Bill for the enactment of the state’s Coroner Law will soon be forwarded to the state’s House of Assembly for consideration and passage.

The bill seeks an inquest to unravel causes surrounding the death of persons believed to have died in sudden and unnatural circumstances, and uphold the constitutional sanctity of human life and put to end impunity and extrajudicial deaths, according to the commissioner.

He gave the hint, in Asaba, when he played host to members of the state steering committee on maternal and perinatal death surveillance and response.

Mrakpor said when the law comes into force, it will not only help in unraveling circumstances leading to several preventable deaths which incur as a result of impunity or negligence but will make people accountable for their actions.

The Attorney-General averred that with the Coroner Law, any individual or persons either directly or remotely linked to the event that leads to sudden death will be held liable and prosecuted by the state.

On the proposed Delta State Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response Bill, seeking to make it mandatory for any health institution in the state to report maternal and perinatal death, Mrakpor assured of government full support in ensuring that the bill is signed into law and becomes enforceable.

Head of the Maternal Perinatal Death Surveillance Response Advocacy Committee, Mrs. Oghenekevwe Agas, had said that the team visited the Attorney-General to intimate and solicit his support for the proposed bill.

She disclosed that the setting up of the committee was in response to the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation that all countries should establish a medical audit system that will identify various causes of maternal deaths with the aim of preventing same.

Also speaking, the State Coordinator of the Committee, Dr. Patrick Okonta of the Ministry of Health appealed to the Justice Commissioner to expedite action by presenting the MPDSR Bill to the State House of Assembly for speedy passage, adding that if the bill if passed in record time, Delta State will be the first in the federation to have a law that will monitor maternal and perinatal death.

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