By Rotimi Ojomoyela, Sola Ogundipe & Chioma Obinna

A survivor from Sunday’s accident in which six medical doctors, and a driver from Ekiti State were killed 60 kilometres from Kaduna State, yesterday told Vanguard exclusively on his sick bed in Kaduna how the accident occurred.


He said the doctors would not have died had basic medical care been administered on them after the accident.

He said the incident occurred around where the late Minister of state for Labour and Productivity, James Ocholi and his family perished in an accident on March 6, 2006.

Those who lost their lives in the accident were: Dr Tunde Aladesanmi of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti, FETHI; Dr Ojo Taiwo, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital,, EKSUTH; NMA Secretary, Dr Akinyele Alex; Dr J. Ogunseye of the Health Management Board; President, EKSUTH Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), Dr Olajide, Dr Adeniyi James of the FETHI and a driver identified as Mr. Ajibola.

Decrying the poor state of Doka Hospital, Senator Shehu Sani (APC, Kaduna Central), who visited some of the injured doctors at St. Gerard Catholic Hospital, Kakuri, Kaduna called on the Federal Government to assist the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, with enough rescue facilities.

At least four of the medical doctors, who survived the accident while travelling to attend a National Delegate Conference of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, in Sokoto were at present receiving medical attention at the St. Gerard Catholic Medical Hospital, Kakuri.

One of the survivors, Dr. Stephen Ayosanmi of EKSUTH, spoke on his hospital bed exclusively to Vanguard on the accident.

How it happened

Ayosanmi said: “I am one of the delegates for the National NMA Conference taking place in Sokoto. On our way, we decided to follow through Kaduna and stop so that we would continue our journey to the conference the following day. We were about 60km to Kaduna when the accident happened. We were in a bus that seats between 15 and 16 person. But we were 13 in the bus, including the driver. Aside the driver, we were all doctors. This was on Sunday, April 24. As we were approaching Kaduna, suddenly a tire burst. The bus somersaulted. This was around 4:45pm.”

Continuing, he said “When the accident happened, some of us came out and people came and tried to help in the rescue effort. I came and I found out that I did not have any fracture or serious injury. By the time the members of the Road Safety Corps came, some doctors that were severely injured had died. Five of them! But, we have two who could still survive. So we rushed them to the nearby hospital (Doka General Hospital, about 70 km to Kaduna).

“At the hospital, I was surprised when they said that there was no doctor there. I was even telling the nurses, ‘ok give me a pain reliever and let me put you through on how to resuscitate that man that was lying near me. But none of them attended to us. They were just running around, saying there was no this, no that. They were running around looking for this and that.

Then I pleaded with the Road Safety to take us to the nearest hospital away from the one we were. I said they should take us to Suleja, Kaduna, wherever, but the Road Safety said that they didn’t even have fuel. I told them that it was ok, that I would pay for fuel. So we left the place in search for fuel and bought the fuel on the road. But, before we got to the hospital (St. Gerard, Kaduna) the other person had died. That made the number of deaths six. The other very injured person, who was in the other bus also died, making the casualty seven”, he said.

Ekiti hospitals grounded, staff Protest

Meanwhile, activities in all the major Health institutions in Ekiti State, were paralysed yesterday by the death of six doctors involved in a ghastly motor accident along Kaduna road on Sunday.

The hospitals affected by the sad development included, Federal Teaching Hospital , Ido Ekiti (FETHI), the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH) and other general hospitals.

In a reaction to the sad development, doctors, nurses and other staff of FETHI trooped out as early as 7am, locked the main gate of the hospital in protest, a situation which caused serious panic to the patients and intending visitors.

The placard-carrying protesters expressed grief over the death of three doctors in FETHI out of those that lost their lives, saying they suspected that their death was diabolical and beyond human imagination.

When newsmen visited EKSUTH in Ado Ekiti, the staff were seen in clusters discussing the situation, while few colleagues of the deceased, were at hand to render medical services to patients on admission.

Speaking on the incident, the FETHI’s Chief Medical Director , Dr Lawrence Ayodele , described the death as a national disaster, saying ‘’It is not about the state, but the whole country because it involves six senior doctors and a driver.”

Ekiti govt declares 3 days mourning

Meantime, Governor Ayodele Fayose has described the death of the doctors and one driver in the State, as a monumental loss not only to the people of Ekiti State but to Nigerians, declaring three days of mourning from Monday to Wednesday.

The governor, who directed that all flags should be flown at half-mast, described the death as an eclipse of professional and intellectual figures, who lost their lives in active service to mankind, saying; “Ekiti has lost some of the best trees in its forest of medicine. I am deeply sad. This is one loss too many.”

NMA declares 7 days mourning

Also, the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, yesterday declared one week of mourning from April 26 to May 3

NMA in a statement by its National Organizing Committee of the Conference directed all doctors to put on black band on the left arm over white overall while during the conference.

The statement by NMA President, Dr. Kayode Obembe and Secretary General, Dr. Adewunmi Alayaki, equally released the names of the doctors including the driver.

Minister mourns

Reacting, Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, described the incident as a tragic loss to the Nigerian Medical community.

In a message to leadership of NMA over the loss of the doctors, he said “Our prayers is that Almighty God in his infinite mercy will give the family, friends and the entire members of NMA the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss. I am using this medium thank the leadership of the NMA especially those at the scene of accident in Kaduna.”

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/04/6-ekiti-doctors-died-survivor-recounts/



See Graphic photos from the scene of the accident here https://www.nairaland.com/3067530/6-ekiti-doctors-die-accident

Hmmm painful, RIP to the them once again

Nawa o!!!God hav mercy on us.

No doctor in the hospital, no fuel to carry them to the nearby hospital. God! Where are we heading to as a nation?

Kaduna state governor be closing churches and neglecting one of the most important sector as this.

Hmmm...


E get as e be.

na wa oo

Principalities and powers on assignment!Blood sucking demons on rampage but God will destroy them.
Just look at how the lives of these young doctors were cut short untimely
My head is not for sale!

SELAH!

God please comfort the families of these dead doctors in Jesus name. Amen.

aye le ooo

Nigeria jagajaga

Not again, Kaduna I hail oooo

That's the problem of Nigeria, very soon they will blame buhari or Jonathan for this, if I may ask what the hell are the governors doing to help in eradicating some of these negative things happening in their states?

elrufai is busy enacting laws on religion while it's citizens languishing in hell on earth. hospitals are not well equipped, road safety agencies are lacking behind, No Toll free numbers to be called even if they were, it's unreachable, Ambulances supposed to be stationed at every strategic point.

Everything is just wrong in this country, God please help our leaders to see the need of helping meaningful Nigerians and not only themselves

OMG! WE SHALL NEVER BE INVOLVED IN SUCH AN ACCIDENT IN JESUS NAME! Amen
RIP to the Doctors.

Mehn...dz is cwios

Lord have mercy on us. May God comfort their families

That's a place where d Fulani herdsmen/Saint Buhari kinsmen go to draw their killing powers.

Nawa

So FRSC could not fuel their vehicles to save lives?

the witchies in that village ehn

After the Ocholi tragedy, the Kaduna state government didn't deem it fit to take proactive steps...
Issorait. One word for the Kaduna state government to ruminate on: priority.

Hmmmm i know understand this government accidents and kill everywhere

God help dis country called nigeria.... everyday na so so bad news we dey hear

Ghydyon:


Those who lost their lives in the accident were: Dr Tunde Aladesanmi of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti, FETHI; Dr Ojo Taiwo, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital,, EKSUTH; NMA Secretary, Dr Akinyele Alex; Dr J. Ogunseye of the Health Management Board; President, EKSUTH Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), Dr Olajide, Dr Adeniyi James of the FETHI and a driver identified as Mr. Ajibola.

This is a clear-cut proof which shows that neither of the imported Semitic Gods idols can truly help us when they are continually prayed to just as these great Yorubas must have done before embarking on that journey. If you disagree, then why hasn't the Funny Bible or Gory Qurran been effective ever since they have been used to swear in criminals disguised as politicians into the amalgam-nation called Nigeria who not only determine their own wages, receives the most ludicrous allowances, salaries and bountiful salaries in the world, amongst diverted over-inflated contract money, while doing next to nothing, these polithiefcians and legislooters, sin-ators etc will continue to loot and embezzle money meant to fix horrible roads, funds meant to eradicate silently-killing and recurring malaria epidemic. They will keep doing these because they know Yesus and Mohammed can do nothing. Until they remove theocracy from government or forced to swear their oath at the contactivated presence of 16 - 32 African Gods such as Sango, Ogun, Ayilala etc things shall continue to get worst in this class-widening, authoritarian, one-sided-double-constitutional anomaly of a country created by Lugard and Flora Shaw till it expires by 2014. PHUCK THIS HELL HOLE.

Buhari is bad luck to Nigeria.

Since the cattle rearer became President its either petrol tankers are roasting people alive, vehicle tyres busting and killing people or Fulani herdsmen are beheading Nigerians like Rams.

Acidosis:
So FRSC could not fuel their vehicles to save lives?

Fuel dey the country Buhari fake change don kill this doctors

R. I. P to them.



But please Nairalanders tell BOO-HARI to do something about the FULANI HERDSMEN. Its becoming unbearable for we Nigerians.


#SAYNOTOFULANIHERDSMEN

Lilimax:
Principalities and powers on assignment!Blood sucking demons on rampage but God will destroy them.
Just look at how the lives of these young doctors were cut short untimely
My head is not for sale!

SELAH!

God please comfort the families of these dead doctors in Jesus name. Amen.

Babe delete the first paragraph of ur post and accept reality.

This is a great loss ....RIP

As in a whole road safety no get fuel? naija which way plz?