Student’s death triggers protest at Yabatech
The protesting students
It is a ploy to postpone examinations, management says
Activities were yesterday brought to a halt for several hours after students of Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) trooped out in protest over the death of a final-year Office Technology Management HND II student, Miss Dazan Charity Oluwabukola.
Addressing newsmen, one of the student leaders, Akinola Emmanuel, said Dazan died due to negligence on the part of officials at the institution’s Medical Centre.
He said: “She fell sick around midnight and she was rushed to our Medical Centre. There, she was asked to pay N35,000 before they would attend to her. Imagine that? I can tell you that from the breakdown of our school fees, every student pays N3,000 for healthcare. So, what was the N35,000 for?”
“It is unfortunate that this happened,” he said. “She was a sickler. She was admitted at the Medical Centre on Monday and was discharged later in the day. In the middle of the night her condition deteriorated and she was rushed back to the centre. She was about to be taken to the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Metta, when she died.”
The Guardian gathered that Dazan died at the medical centre in the early hours of Wednesday. “Before she died, she told us not to call her mother,” one of the students who conveyed her to the medical centre said. “She said ‘I’m dying, don’t call my mother; call only my sister.”
While the protest was raging yesterday afternoon, access was denied into the institution as the campus gates were locked by protesters, who sang solidarity songs and displayed placards that read: “Injustice to one is injustice to all”, “This Nonsense Must Stop”.
However, management of the institution has said the school never took any step that ultimately compromised the life of the deceased; rather, it did all within its powers to preserve it.
In a statement by the school’s Director of Publications, Mr. Charles Oni, the late Dazan “had developed a crisis in the afternoon of Tuesday, February 9, 2016 and was temporary on admission at the College Medical Centre under close watch of the centre’s management.
She was, however, discharged when her condition became stable so that she could prepare for her examination today (Wednesday). Sadly, the late Dazan’s crisis relapsed around midnight and her room mates rushed her back to the medical centre where precautionary medical attention was given to her, with a promise to refer her to the Federal Medical Centre at Ebute Metta as soon as the day breaks. She was being conveyed to the Federal Medical Centre early this morning when she gave up the ghost.
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3 Comments
It is so painful with the way false stories are flying in the air concerning her death. I’m a relative of the deceased nd I was very much present @ the scene after her death. Truly she was admitted for a short while in the midnight nd was told to leave the skul medical centre immediately her drip finished bcos there might be an emergency situation nd der is limited number of bed in the medical centre. Not long she got to the hostel she was rushed back by her room mate wen her condition got worse. The medical centre then referred her to the Federal Medicial Centre, Ebutta Metta with the driver nd a nurse. It was there they were told to deposit 35K for commencement of treatment. The Nurse told them to commence treatment while she go back with the emergency bus to get the money but they refused. They took her bck to skul inorder to get the money nd took her bck to FMC where they were made to pass tru some time taking formalities of payment process. It was during dis time she gave up the ghost. Charity was not an SS patient. She was supposed to be one of the bex graduating student. the negligence from both medical centres resulted to her death.
For how long will people have to die before our hospitals wake up in Nigeria. The Priority of every Doctor and nurse is to “SAVE A LIFE”. What a pity! The number of people that die because of lack of funds in hospitals in Nigeria is devastating. What happened to free health care services oh government? I believe that the Medical Association should do something about this. An Orientation is desperately needed. The love of money shouldn’t be at the expense of a life. Money can always be paid, but life? Can neva be replaced.
1. Dazan was never a sickler
2. FMC actually killed her, FMC asked 35,000 be paid, students had to go back to school where someone at medical contributed 10,000, her friend from fellowship withdrew 25,000 and they rushed back to FMC to pay. Even when they arrived with the money, the doctor at FMC insisted the payment made and receipt issued before she was even checked.
A nurse at FMC made a comment that she is “paper white” that her friends should get donors.
Had she been treated when she arrived, she would have been able to pay back and still be with us.
I wonder why the students did not march to FMC to atleast make them record damages worth 500k to serve as a bitter lesson that when a student is rushed to your hospital, they are given the best care.
because of 35k, all her parent’s investments in her education, her efforts to get good grade to HND level, days of late night reading. All gone because of 35,000.
I pray that God will bring a greater misfortune to that doctor, it is unfortunate they claim they study medicine because of their passion to help humanity. this is a clear case of money driven passion.
We will review and take appropriate action.