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There was a palpable tension at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), Ilorin, Kwara state on Wednesday which led to the seizure of the corpse of a deceased patient following assault on one of the medical doctors of the facility.
PLATFORM TIMES gathered that one of the deceased’s children was also arrested for allegedly beating the medical doctor in the Accident and Emergency Ward of the hospital.
The deceased’s child assaulted a.medical worker over alleged poor attitude of the medical personnel which led to the death of his father, Alhaji Saliu, said to be a butcher.
It was gathered that the incident happened on Tuesday, when three family members of the deceased, reportedly beat up a medical doctor in the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Wing of the UITH for alleged nonchalant attitude of the medical staff leading to the death of their relative.
PLATFORM TIMES further gathered that violence erupted shortly after the news of the death of their relative who was suffering from blood cancer was announced at the hospital.
A source at the hospital said that the deceased was rushed to the facility on Tuesday after he suffered complications when he reportedly returned from a business trip.
One of the relatives of the deceased, Mr. Abdul, who confirmed the development, revealed that the hospital seized the corpse due to assault on one of the medical doctors.
Abdul disclosed that Alhaji Saliu was rushed to the emergency ward of the hospital some minutes past 5:00am on Tuesday and despite pleas for a doctor to attend to him, nobody responded.
“We were surprised to see doctors coming to attend to us several hours later after a medical personnel who saw our plight confirmed he was dead.
“That infuriated the relatives and they reacted by descending on one of the doctors that came. Since then, they have vowed not to release the corpse unless we produce some other people that beat the doctor”, he revealed.
The Head, Corporate Affairs Unit of the UITH, Mrs. Elizabeth Ajiboye, on behalf of the hospital management, confirmed the development.
She said, doctors under the aegis of Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria (ARD) in the hospital are protesting the assault, “urging the management of the hospital against the release of the corpse without arresting and prosecuting the culprits”.
Mrs. Ajiboye, urged members of the public to stop attacks on health workers, explaining that the patient’s case was presented late with severe complications.
She said “the patient in question was one of such cases presented to the hospital late and with severe complications. Nevertheless, the health workers on duty, especially doctors swung into action but while battling with his life, he convulsed. He was stabilized from that stage, prompting the doctors to take over another case requiring an emergency attention.
“Three of the patient’s relations pounced on one of the doctors on duty, pinned him to the wall, and punched him severally but he managed to escape from them.
“This led to the arrest of one of patient’s relatives by the security operatives attached to the hospital.
“The arrested son is still under the watch of the security personnel while two others are being searched for.
“Meanwhile, the doctors under the aegis of Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria (ARD) are protesting the assault, urging the Management of the hospital against the release of the corpse without arresting and prosecuting the culprits.
“It has now become imperative for the hospital to caution patients and their relations against any form of attack on its health care providers.
“We wish to remind members of the public on the roles of health workers in health Management system and the limitations of these health care providers in saving lives especially when the cases before them are presented late,” the body added.
The association asserted that just as the medical workers had sworn to protect the lives of their patients, their own lives should not be endangered.
“Therefore, the Management through the law enforcement agents resolved to henceforth commence the arrest and prosecution of anyone irrespective of their status, threatening the lives of any of the workers of UITH in the course of their duties. Legal action will also henceforth be taken against such unruly relatives of our patients.”
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