Six members of the Ekiti
State branch of the Nigerian Medical Association, including their driver, on
Sunday lost their lives in a road traffic accident along Abuja-Kaduna
Expressway.
The
Punch report continues:
The
men were on their way to Sokoto for the 56th NMA Annual General
Conference/Annual Delegates Meeting when their vehicle was involved in a fatal
crash. It was gathered that the rear tyre of the vehicle burst while the driver
was speeding.
The
impact, it was gathered, set the vehicle on a ghastly somersault, killing the
six medical doctors and the driver while others were injured.
The
Ekiti NMA Chairman, Dr. John Akinbote, who survived the accident, told one
of our correspondents on Monday that survivors were still receiving treatment
at an undisclosed hospital in Kaduna.
A
statement on Monday in Abuja co-signed by the NMA President, Dr. Kayode Obembe,
and the Secretary-General, Dr. Adewumi Alayaki, identified the deceased as Dr.
Alex Akinyele, Secretary, NMA Ekiti Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti and
Dr. Tunde Aladesanmi, General Surgeon, FTH, Ido Ekiti.
Others
are Dr. O.J. Taiwo, anatomic pathologist, Ekiti State University Teaching
Hospital, Ado-Ekiti; Dr. Ogunseye J.B., of the National Association of General
and Government Medical and Dental Practitioners and National Secretary,
Hospital Management Board, Ekiti; Dr. Olajide O., President, Association of
Resident Doctors, EKSUTH; Dr. Atolani Adeniyi, Secretary, NAGGMDP, Ekiti State;
and Mr. Ajibola, the NMA Ekiti driver.
The
statement added that survivors “are in stable condition and are receiving
medical attention under the auspices of the Chairman of the Kaduna State NMA
and his team.”
It
stated that the bereaved families had been contacted and arrangements were
being made to convey the bodies back to Ekiti State, adding that burial
arrangements would be communicated in due course.
The
NMA said it had sent its representatives to Kaduna for an on-the-spot assessment
and to complement the effort of the Kaduna medical team.
“While
the conference continues, the National Officers’ Committee hereby directs that
all doctors should observe one week of mourning from Tuesday, April 26 to
Tuesday, May 3, 2016. Every doctor should put on black band on the left arm
over white overall,” the NMA directed.
Meanwhile,
the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, has commiserated with the
President and all members of the NMA over the loss of their colleagues.
A
statement by the Director, Media and Public Relations, Ministry of Health,
Boade Akinola, said the minister prayed for the quick recovery of the
survivors.
Also,
the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has declared a three-day mourning,
describing the situation as the lowest point in the history of the state and a
monumental loss, not only to the people of Ekiti State but to Nigerians.
The
three days of mourning which started on Monday would end on Wednesday.
Fayose,
according to a statement by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and
New Media, Lere Olayinka, has directed that all flags should be flown at
half-mast.
“Ekiti
has lost some of the best trees in its forest of medicine. I am deeply sad.
This is one loss too many.
“Death
of seven prominent indigenes of a state in one day and at the same period is a
burden too heavy to bear. It is my prayer that God, who is the only Giver and
Taker of life, will give Ekiti people the fortitude to bear this irreparable
loss.”
The
governor urged families, friends and professional colleagues of the deceased,
especially members of the NMA to take solace in God.
Also,
the Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Kola Oluwawole, has condoled
with the people of the state, particularly members of the NMA over the death of
the six doctors.
Oluwawole,
in a condolence message signed by his Special Assistant (Media), Stephen
Gbadamosi, said it was a grievous moment, not only for Ekiti State, but also
the entire nation and its health sector.
But
activities at hospitals in Ekiti State were paralysed on Monday as medical
workers protest the untimely death of the medical doctors.
At
the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti the protesting members of staff
alleged that a top member of the management of the hospital was behind the
death.
An
eyewitness said medical workers trooped out as early as 7am and locked the main
gate of the hospital in protest, which caused panic among patients and
their families.
The
Publicity Secretary of the Senior Staff Association of University Teaching
Hospitals, Ekiti State branch, Mr. Tope Ogunleye, said, “This isn’t really a
protest, we are just using this avenue to register our grievances.
“Yesterday
afternoon, we had a terrible incident where three of our doctors here lost
their lives in a ghastly vehicle accident. The three doctors are Dr. Alex
Akinyele, Dr. Tunde Aladesanmi and Dr. Adeniyi.
“We
are worried that this tragic incident is becoming too regular. Sometime last
year, we lost four of our members. It is more worrisome that we learnt that all
this is happening because so many diabolical things have been going on in the
hospital.”
However,
the FETHI’s Chief Medical Director, Dr. Lawrence Ayodele, described the death
as a national disaster.
“It
is not about the state, but the whole country because it involves six senior
doctors and a driver. On behalf of the entire hospital community, we pray that
this kind of very sad event would not happen again. We need a period of prayer
to put an end to this kind of ugly incident.”
Ayodele
appealed to the workers not to allow emotion to override their sense of
reasoning.
“I
got the information this morning. But let me say that it is normal that when
there is a grief, people can bring up any kind of emotion. But we should not allow
emotion to override our thinking and grief should not push us to doing what we
are not supposed to do. I plead with them to be peaceful.”
The
CMD said the families of the deceased had been contacted by both the state
government and the NMA.
At
EKSUTH in Ado-Ekiti, workers were seen in groups discussing the accident in
hushed tones.
The
CMD of EKSUTH, Dr. Kolawole Ogundipe, said the management had sent five
ambulances to Kaduna to evacuate the corpses of the deceased.
Ogundipe, who appealed to members to be peaceful, prayed that God would grant the NMA, the deceased’s families and the Ekiti government the fortitude to bear the loss.
Meanwhile The Nation reports that Chairman, Nigerian Medical
Association (NMA), Ekiti State branch, Dr. John Akinbote has said
that lack of immediate proper medical attention was responsible for
the death of six Ekiti State medical doctors that died in auto crash Sunday night
along Abuja-Kaduna express way.
Dr.
Akinbote, disclosed this while speaking with journalists on his hospital
bed at Saint Gerald’s Catholic Hospital, where other
seven surviving doctors are currently receiving treatment.
He
said, “Those that died would have survived if we got good medical attention
from the point of the accident to the Doka General Hospital in Kaduna.
“It
became even worst, when we got to Doka Hospital, there was no single Doctor to
attend to us and the only nurse on duty had no first aid facilities to
administer treatment.
“I
am sure, if personnel of Federal Road Safety, FRSC that took us to Doka
Hospital and the nurse on duty had medical facilities to give first aid
treatment, our doctors and driver wouldn’t have died.”
According
to two of the survivors, who spoke to journalists at Saint Gerald’s
Catholic Hospital, Kaduna, they were 13 Doctors and a driver in an
18-seater vehicle, but after the accident occurred six doctors and a driver
died.
The
Doctors, it was gathered, left Ekiti on Saturday to attend the
Nigeria Medical Association delegates’ conference in Sokoto, but were sent to
early grave after the vehicle’s tyre burst, hit the side breakers and
somersaulted severally before it stopped.
One
of the survivors, Dr. Stephen Ayosanmi who spoke to journalists from his hospital
bed at St. Gerald, said a tyre burst caused the accident.
It
was also gathered that the accident occurred at the spot where former Minister
of State for Labour and Productivity, James Ocholi had a similar auto
crash and died along with his wife and a son.
Those
who lost their lives in the auto crash included Dr. Alade Sani, Dr. OJ
Taiwo, Dr. Akinyele Lexy, Dr.Ogunseye, Dr. Olagide, Dr. Adeniyi
James, and Mr. Ajibola (DRIVER).
Meanwhile, Senator Shehu
Sani representing Kaduna Central District under the umbrella of All
Progressives Congress (APC) who visited the surviving Doctors at the hospital
condoled with the Ekiti State Government and NMA, just as he urged the
Federal government to fix all bad portions of the road to forestall future
recurrence.
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