The most recent murder committed by these
supposed
life savers was witnessed on Tuesday the 8 of
September 2015, the black day on which a potential
first class graduate of theUniversity of Lagos
(UNILAG),Miss Oluchi Anekwe,died after an
unfortunate accident involving electric cables.
She is not a lone victim, as other likeMiss Kelechi
Preciousof theUniversity of Port Harcourt
(UNIPORT),Mayowa Alaranof theUniversity of Ibadan
(UI) andKolawole Fatai Morenikejiof theLadoke
Akintola, University of Technology(LAUTECH)
Ogbomosho, have all gone to 'waste' in similar
manner.
HOW DID THEY DIE?
1. Miss Oluchi Anekwe of the University of Lagos
(UNILAG) – electrocuted on the street in August
2. Miss Kelechi Precious of the University of Port
Harcourt (UNIPORT) – slumped in her hostel in
August
3. Kolawole Fatai Morenikeji of the Ladoke Akintola,
University of Technology (LAUTECH) – slumped at a
football match in June
4. Mayowa Alaran of the University of Ibadan (UI) –
slumped while watching a match in May
MAYOWA ALARAN, University of Ibadan (UI) –
slumped
in May
What binds all these cases together is the fact that
medical staff negligence, combined with poor
facilities
actually killed these students.
By implication, their lives could have been saved.
WHAT IS WRONG?
As an ordinary citizen that is not knowledgeable
about
how a university or a medical center is run, one may
not be able to give precise suggestions or solutions,
but it only takes a bit of commonsense to know that
there are a lot wrong in Nigerian universities:
1. There are inadequate medical facilities at almost all
tertiary institutions
2. Most institutions have no provision for first aid
services or trainings for students
3. Hospital staff have very poor attitude to their
patients and would be patients
4. There seems to be a belief that school health
services are free when, in actuality, students have
paid
for it with their tuition
5. Acceptable safety standards are not respected,
especially in students hostels
In addition, many students are ill without even
knowing it, as is seen in three of the cases discussed
above. That three students collapsed and died
without
clear reason indicates that they have been ill for a
while.
WHAT CAN BE DONE?
1. Revamping university health services
2. Providing compulsory routine check-ups for all
students
3. Instructing medical staff of universities to first
provide treatment before observing protocols
4. Train students on basic first aid techniques
5. Create and maintain mini clinics/first aid centres
across the universities, especially student hubs and
hostels
6. Provide a functional university helpline that all
students can call
If we allow the death of Anekwe to fall by the
roadside
of public discourse, like the three before her, there
may be many more names yet to be turned into
trending hashtags amongst the student populace.
Universities managements must be forced to protect
students and ensure that health services are up to
standard and safety procedures are followed.
Otherwise, let's wait for the next life to be wasted.
Please drop your comment about this piece below;
Thanks,stayed tuned for more updates..
Source: www.joelxclusive..co.ke/2015/10/4-nigerian-students-killed-by_10.html?m=1