So many issues that my binoculars have picked in the last few months of advertent silence but could not be reflected here now. However, this one has to do with what I will describe as “medical rascality” from a secondary hospital facility leading to the death of accident victims. That to me is why I needed to dissect the issues involved before the anger of the residents in Borno state against Dr Philibus and his management team dies down.
The increasing “professional arrogance” and downright ineptitude of some practitioners of the medical profession in Borno is beginning to stink unto high heavens. How on earth will accident victims from a scene in front of the Airforce base be rushed to a secondary hospital like Umaru Shehu and they are turned down? It’s sacrilegious that medical practitioners regardless of rank could dump their oaths in the alter of any guise or excuse and refuse wounded patients access to treatment. What happened some weeks back in maiduguri is an abominable act for any trained medical personnel not to have the milk of human kindness inside him or her. No wonder Governor Zulum vowed on his visit to the facility that heads will surely roll for such a wicked wrong doing.
And that was what was exactly displayed by staff of the Umaru Shehu ultra modern hospital recently to a good Samaritan who witnessed a head on collision between a commercial tricycle known as Keke napep and a passenger bus which was rushing to meet the eight O’ clock deadline for the Maiduguri Damaturu road to be opened to commuters by the military. The military closes the highway every day by 4pm till the next morning when it is opened. When open, some of the commuters speed as much as 150/180km per hour to get to their long distance locations in time loaded with so many passengers.
The Samaritan one Comrade Umar Mukhtar who bloodied his car for common humanity had decided to put the most vulnerable of the victims from the crash into his car and drove them speedily to the hospital named after the first Professor Emeritus of medicine in Borno, Umaru Shehu. Obviously hoping to get treatment for people he had never known in his life but he was turned down. He was so emotional about saving the lives of these two ladies even though they were not related to him. Eye witnesses said he had to virtually beg for them to be taken in immediately but they were abandoned on the bare floor by stone hearted medical personnel he met in the accident and emergency (And E) unit. He went to the office of the principal medical officer (PMO) Dr Philibus but he was not on seat. Got his line and called him but with the arrival of the man of the facility, the answer was a double no. He started shedding tears that even the so called well trained Philibus had joined the band wagon of ineptitude professionals which Governor Zulum has vowed to weed out. Here is his edited narration in a petition to the state government over the wrong attitude displayed by Dr Philibus the principal medical officer of the facility and his medical staff who stood for him before he was called to the scene.
TO THE GOVERNMENT AND GOOD PEOPLE OF BORNO
“Tears are still running from my eyes as am typing this messages.A serious accident never seen just happened in front of me today at about 4:50pm at the NAF Base gate along Kano road Maiduguri Borno State capital.
” The accident involved Hummer Bus with full passengers and Keke napep carrying 3 passengers and driver. The accident caused death and severe injuries. I had parked and rendered assistance as usual. The drivers were unconscious as they had Head injuries.
“The 2 women also had multiple fractures in the mouths and head bleeding and mentioning the name’s of their daughters, husband and their son to come for their aid.
” As we rushed them to the A&E at Umaru Shehu Ultra Modern Hospital (USUMH) unfortunately, they refused to attend to us and referred us to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH). We asked for Ambulance to rush them to the UMTH they said they don’t have power to give us ambulance. We went to Chief Medical Director’s (CMD’s) office he wasn’t around I called him twice no response. That’s how the first woman by name Ya mallam died on the floor. Later when the CMD came he still asked us to go to UMTH. We asked if he can assist with ambulance because they were bleeding. He said the ambulances were faulty. I was able to ask some staff in the hospital, they said the ambulances are working only that he doesn’t want to give so we still had to carry them in our personal vehicles to UMTH.
“I cried over why a hospital like USUMH in the center of Maiduguri lack not only the Medical facilities but kindhearted management. I have all the pictures and videos for record purpose.” He said.
In his petition to Governor Zulum, Comrade Umar lamented that the security blockage the Nigerian Airforce component base had placed on their side of the road was another major setback for commuters plying that route which is the only functional route leading out of the state.
He went on: “The worse part of this is that the road is where this type of accident use to happen on a daily basis . Therefore, we call and appeal to the state government and all relevant authorities to stand and take urgent action on these by coming to our rescue to open this road closed by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) over a decade now.
“This is the only entrance to Maiduguri but it has become a death trap. The danger caused as a result of the shut down of the other length of the road is worse than Boko Haram itself. We don’t know why Nigerian Air Force still don’t want to Open this road. We all know that Boko Haram saga has become history.
“The number of people dying in accidents on the road daily are in thousands and it has crippled many. Are we all going to die before the road will be open? Enough is enough!
” So we advise as concerned citizens, Let NAF open this road as a matter of urgency and let them move to their permanent site at Auno and allow people to live long before their natural deaths. Let them close this gate and use their other entrance inside the Airport.”, said Comrade Umar Mukhtar.
On seeing the petition milling around the online space, Governor Babagana Zulum acted swiftly by first empathizing with the two ladies especially the one who died on the day of the crash by attending the funeral. After the burial of the two ladies who were obviously All Progressive Congress (APC) party stalwarts, he stormed the Umaru Shehu hospital to find out why they treated the women like animals instead of helping them to stay alive. After his tour of the facility which he felt had failed him in spite of all his efforts towards fixing the battered health sector, Governor Zulum called for a probe of hospital staff over the viral video showing accident victims rejected
He actually said he wanted the culprits tried charged and punished within 24 hours. But senior officials in the Ministry felt Philibus must pass through the service rules before being sacrificed for his negligence.
“Zulum, directed the Ministry of Health to investigate and fish out medical staff on duty for allegedly rejecting victims of accidents rushed to Umaru Shehu Ultra Modern Hospital that very day. He gave the directive recently at the Accident and Emergency Unit of the hospital. ” said a statement from the government house.
“The governor’s visit to Umaru Shehu Hospital was in response to a video clip which went viral on social media showing how some medical personnel allegedly rejected accident victims brought to the hospital on a date and time that will be determined by investigators.” said the release.
What happened is “inhuman and unacceptable” Zulum said as he addressed health workers at the hospital.
“A situation where patients are left crying for help, yet a hospital rejects them? We will not allow such a situation to repeat itself. I see no reason why disciplinary action will not be taken against the erring staff in this hospital”, the governor declared.
“If any medical doctor or any personnel in any of our facilities is not willing to attend to patients without cogent reason, he or she should equally be fired without hesitation”, Zulum said.
He added, “Within the next 24 hours, the Hospital Management Board and the Ministry of Health should investigate the incident and ensure disciplinary measures are enforced against all those on duty that refused to admit victims of the accident brought here.”
Governor Zulum noted that the state government has invested heavily in the health sector, including the welfare of the medical officers, across the state, and he called on medical officers to reciprocate the gesture by providing quality healthcare services to all patients without discrimination.”
Meanwhile Ya Kime the prominent female politician that died in the accident in company of her colleague politician Ya Zara have since been buried according to Islamic rites.
