The peace of the Federal Staff Hospital, Gwarimpa, Abuja was ruffled on Friday, as a protesting family members a d friends stormed the hospital over the death of their brother and friend, Chiagoziem Dike.
Dike, an asthmatic patient, was rushed to the hospital for medical attention after suffering asthmatic attack only for the hopsital to have locked him outside.
According to the protesting relatives, the staff on duty refused to open the gate for them until about two hours and when they eventually did, he was not checked but referred to Federal Medical Centre, Jabi.
But before they could get to jabi, the 37 years old Dike was gone.
The incident according to them happened on 25 April, 2024.
The aggrieved family members and friends are calling for the shutdown of the hospital, saying it not fit to attend to patients.
The protesters wondered how the hospital’s Medical staff who were on duty at the time could not at least check him before sending him a way.
According to them, the hospital is alleged to be notorious for rejecting emergency cases and thereby causing untimely death of innocent patients.
Narrating the incident, a lady who identified herself as late Dike’s friend said he was rushed to the hospital when he had an asthmatic attack in the early hours of April 25th 2024 only for the medical staff on duty refusing to open the gate.
She said they also stopped the gate men who had shown concern from opening the gate.
She said after staying for about two hours and no sign of attention, they decided to go to another hospital but unfortunately, Dike could.not make it before reaching
“I’m his friend I was with him when he had the attack. He is asthmatic. He had this attack last week on the 25 of April at about 4:30 am we drove own to this hospital, two doctors came and refused to open the gate for us.
“The security guard wanted to help us but the doctors shouted and refused to open the gate for us we were there till 6am .”
The late Dike’s sister, Onyiyechi said the hospital is a death trap we have a lot of testimony about this hospital and there negligence we’ve had a lot about this hospital says the sister onyiyechi
She urged the Medical.Director to get to the root of the matter, saying “It is your responsibility to know what happened in your hospital.
“My brother is 37 years old. Did you know how long he has been struggling? He is my parents only son. We can’t sleep. This incident could’ve have been avoided but no, you guys choose to take his life.”
She explained that when her brother was rushed to the hospital, “they refuse to open the gate for them. His friends were shouting and banging the gate before a doctor and a nurse came out and they still did not open the gate for them to come in.
“The doctor then asked his friends that rushed him to the hospital what the problem was and immediately he was told that it was asthmatic attack, without checking on the dying Dike, the doctor said they cannot handle it.
They did not look at him or check him. The doctor then referred them to Jabi Federal Medical Centre, which is some how far .”
Another family member, Sarah Ameachi, who was part of the protest narrated her own bitter expereince .
Ameachi said, she was left in her pool of blood in the labour room without any attention.
She said, “They left me in the labor room I was bleeding nobody cares for me there were supposed to be three nurses attending to me unfortunately one left the left me to bleed they after I gave birth I told them that I’m going to report they told me that I should thank God I’m alive.
“So after that incident I went back with my son today it’s my brother turn who they did not touch they did not even look at him. They referred him to jabi atleast they could’ve done something or checked what was wrong with him even if you don’t have the equipment.”
The protesting famitheand friend therefore want the hospital to be shutdown within the next 72 hours.
Mr. Innocent Echi, an in-law to the late Dike who issued the 72hours ultimatum said, “what really happened was that on the 25 April my in-law Chiahoziem Dike had an asthmatic attack as at 4am and he was rushed down to the hospital. He stayed opposite star view meaning that from there to the hospital is one or two minutes drive so the family and friends brought him to the nearest hospital which is the Federal Staff Hospital, when they brought him they refused to open the gate.
The doctors just looked and asked what happened. As soon as he was told that it was asthmatic attack, he said they can’t handle the case and ask them to take him to Federal Medical Center, Jabi on reaching there, they told us that he was dead.
“Our anger is that Federal Staff Hospital could’ve have given him first aid. He won’t have given.
“We had them on record when they where talking carelessly, it had me question weather they graduated from medical college and who issues them license.
” We are demanding justices for Nigeria so far not just him, we are asking the .inister of Health and Minister of FCT and Hospital management board to look into it.
“We intend to write petition necessary authorities. This matter need to be investigated and look into it we need justices,” Echi said
He added “We brought him because he couldn’t breathe properly but the hospital failed to attend to him and let our brother die. They referred us to a far hospital and let him die like that”
The Chief Medical Director, Federal Staff Hospital, Gwarimpa, Dr. Adewumi however said he was never aware of all the cases mentioned by the protesters, describing the death of Dike as an unfortunate.
He however pleaded with the aggrieved protesters, promising to look into the matter.
He said, ” Iam not aware of all these. I understand, I know what you are feeling .
“This is the first case I am witnessing I’m going to find out and get the nurses and doctors involved and get justice for you.
” We are going to investigate please calm down I am sorry for all that has happened I am going to look into it and all that happened that day.
“It’s unfortunate it happened like I said, we need to demand justice’s for that so I need to know what happened.”
