The Federal Ministry of Health has set up a panel of enquiry into the circumstances that led to the death of one Charity Muatin Dazan, a student of Yaba College of Technology, at the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Metta, some weeks ago.
The deceased, was a Higher National Diploma Two student of Yabatech, studying OTM Bilingual before she died.
She was allegedly rejected by those on duty on fateful day.
A source close to the FMC told our correspondent that the deceased who was brought into the hospital in a critical condition was rejected by the hospital management because she could not pay the sum of N35,000 as part payment before the commencement of treatment on her by the hospital.
The panel of enquiry, which began sitting at FMC Ebute Metta yesterday, is headed by the Senior Consultant Doctor, FMC one Dr. (Mrs.) Okudiafor.
It was alleged by the students that the Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. (Mrs.) Yewande Jinadu had issued a stern warning to the nurses and doctors as part of her policies not to attend to any patient brought in without at least deposits of N30,000.
However, while the students were taking the deceased to another hospital in the neighbourhood, she gave up the ghost, a situation, which infuriated her colleagues who stormed the place in annoyance and threatened to destroy assets at the hospital.
but the students also alleged that when the hospital management sensed danger, the management immediately ordered the Head of Medical Records, one Mrs. Akinfenwas to immediately open a file for the deceased student in the hospital and entered series of medical tests carried out on the deceased, but which were never conducted on her.
One of the colleagues of the student who simply identified himself as Collins in an interview with our correspondent insisted that if Charity had been accepted in the hospital, she would have still remained alive.
Collins said the student was vomiting and showed sign of weakness before being brought to the hospital.
“I was one of those who took Charity to the hospital from Yabatech on the said day, but when we got here they demanded for the sum of N35,000 before they could commence treatment on her. We promised them that the money would be brought and that they should help us save her life first, but all pleas were rejected by those on duty then. In fact, they claimed that they have been ordered not to give any first aid to any seek patient without deposit.
“However, when we saw that our appeals to them would not be entertained, we decided to take her to another hospital, but on our way, she died. The fact still remains that if the hospital had given her attention, she would not have died.
But, Jinadu in a terse text message to our correspondent on the issue debunked the claim that she gave out the rules for rejection of patients brought to the hospital without money.
She also said that she was on leave when the incident happened.
She said, “I did not give rules to reject patients. One cannot reject patients. The hospital did it best for the young lady. Unfortunately, a few persons have worsened the pain of Charity’s relatives and friends. Incidentally, I was on leave.”
Also one of the senior managers of the hospital, Mr. Harrison Etim in a phone conversation with our correspondent confirmed that the panel of enquiry on the issue set up by the Federal Government commenced sitting yesterday at the hospital.
By: Sade Williams
