Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Folorunso Adewole
A survivor who came out alive after a fatal motor accident claimed the lives of six medical doctors has recounted the shocking story. The survivor from Sunday’s fatal accident in which six medical doctors and a driver from Ekiti State lost their lives 60 kilometres from Kaduna State has told his story. Speaking from his hospital bed, he said the doctors would not have died had basic medical care been administered on them after the accident.
Giving details of what happened, he said the incident occurred just near the spot the late Minister of state for Labour and Productivity, James Ocholi and his family perished in an accident on March 6, 2016.
Those who lost their lives in the accident were: Dr Tunde Aladesanmi of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti, FETHI; Dr Ojo Taiwo, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital,, EKSUTH; NMA Secretary, Dr Akinyele Alex; Dr J. Ogunseye of the Health Management Board; President, EKSUTH Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), Dr Olajide, Dr Adeniyi James of the FETHI and a driver identified as Mr. Ajibola.
At least four of the medical doctors, who survived the accident while traveling to attend a National Delegate Conference of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, in Sokoto were at present receiving medical attention at the St. Gerard Catholic Medical Hospital, Kakuri.
Speaking from his hospital bed, Dr. Stephen Ayosanmi of EKSUTH who survived the accident said in an interview with Vanguard: “I am one of the delegates for the National NMA Conference taking place in Sokoto. On our way, we decided to follow through Kaduna and stop so that we would continue our journey to the conference the following day. We were about 60km to Kaduna when the accident happened. We were in a bus that seats between 15 and 16 person. But we were 13 in the bus, including the driver. Aside the driver, we were all doctors. This was on Sunday, April 24. As we were approaching Kaduna, suddenly a tire burst. The bus somersaulted. This was around 4:45pm.”
Continuing, he said “When the accident happened, some of us came out and people came and tried to help in the rescue effort. I came and I found out that I did not have any fracture or serious injury. By the time the members of the Road Safety Corps came, some doctors that were severely injured had died. Five of them! But, we have two who could still survive. So we rushed them to the nearby hospital (Doka General Hospital, about 70 km to Kaduna).
“At the hospital, I was surprised when they said that there was no doctor there. I was even telling the nurses, ‘ok give me a pain reliever and let me put you through on how to resuscitate that man that was lying near me. But none of them attended to us. They were just running around, saying there was no this, no that. They were running around looking for this and that.
"Then I pleaded with the Road Safety to take us to the nearest hospital away from the one we were. I said they should take us to Suleja, Kaduna, wherever, but the Road Safety said that they didn’t even have fuel. I told them that it was ok, that I would pay for fuel. So we left the place in search for fuel and bought the fuel on the road. But, before we got to the hospital (St. Gerard, Kaduna) the other person had died. That made the number of deaths six. The other very injured person, who was in the other bus also died, making the casualty seven”, he said.
Meantime, Governor Ayodele Fayose has described the death of the doctors and one driver in the State, as a monumental loss not only to the people of Ekiti State but to Nigerians, declaring three days of mourning from Monday to Wednesday.
The governor, who directed that all flags should be flown at half-mast, described the death as an eclipse of professional and intellectual figures, who lost their lives in active service to mankind, saying; “Ekiti has lost some of the best trees in its forest of medicine. I am deeply sad. This is one loss too many.”
Also, the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, yesterday declared one week of mourning from April 26 to May 3. NMA in a statement by its National Organizing Committee of the Conference directed all doctors to put on black band on the left arm over white overall while during the conference.
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