THE Medical Director (MD), Asokoro District General Hospital, Abuja, Dr Uche Afiomah, has assured the public that investigation over the death of Ms Kafayat Abdul’azeez was ongoing.
Afiomah gave the assurance during a protest by Fix Our Health System, a human right activist group, on Thursday in Abuja.
According to her, the investigation will be concluded in two weeks time.
The MD explained that she had communicated with the family of the demise and was able to address some issues raised by the family members.
She further said that during Abdul’azeez’ stay in the hospital, the family members had access to the managerial level and the demise was attended to with all the due care instituted.
She, however, said that the demise was attended to within an hour of admission by the consultant physician and other physicians who manage the accident and emergency unit.
“The hospital answered any issues raised by the family and any identified gaps would be raised after our investigations
“The Health and Human Services Secretariat (HHSS) is making an inquiry following the request of the family.
“Some consultant physicians reviewed and managed until her death on Feb. 16 at 8:33 hours from complications of her documented illness.
“She was in Asokoro District Hospital for 42 hours in the accident and emergency ward,’’ Afiomah confirmed.
Mr Chido Onumah, a human right activist, who spoke on behalf of the group, demanded answers to the kind of attention given to the deceased.
Onumah described the death as negligence by the medical team that attended to her, adding that nurses did not explain to her family about the prescription until a day after.
ALSO READ: Insurance: How N650 monthly payment ensures safe mothers, healthy…
He described late Abdul’azeez as a friend, an advocate, a volunteer, a social worker, an activist who brought joy and laughter to the faces of many people.
He urged the Federal Government to fix its healthcare facilities for proper and better service delivery.
“We are here today to call the attention of members of the public to the deplorable situation and to ask for justice for our friend.
“She walked in here last Thursday hale and hearty just to check up because she was not feeling too well and by Saturday she was dead.
“We are here basically to raise questions about what happened and we demand answers to the kind of attention she got.
“We can no longer tolerate the negligence of the medical and health practitioners. People come to the hospital to get a cure not to die.
“We feel that she died because of the negligence and ineptitude of the medical practitioners here, which of course is part of the general trend across the healthcare system in this country,’’ he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Abdul’azeez, a 25-year-old health activist, allegedly died of pneumonia at the hospital due to neglect by the facility staff on Feb. 15.
According to Yusuf Yusuf, a colleague of the deceased, Abdul’zaeez left for the hospital where she was admitted, and the doctors diagnosed her with pneumonia.
Yusuf said that after the initial treatment, she regained her strength, but “painfully, the following day, Friday, her situation became worse and the hospital was no longer as responsive as they were supposed to be.
“Mobile oxygen, which was supposed to be used on her, was not used. A drug was prescribed by her doctors, but the nurses didn’t give the prescription to the family until a day after. By then it was too late.”
The deceased was also the Co-founder of Al-Imran Islamic Foundation.
and then