n the 5th of June 2016, I published an article
regarding the decay in the federal medical centre
here in Bida, Niger. In this article, I explained why
the management should be brought to book for the
careless loss of human lives there. I am sure most of you
must have it.

After the publication went viral, the management tried all it
could to downplay the issue as expected. They have also
been lots of speculations flying around trying to dispute the
facts. Supporters to the MD in the likes of Dr. M.M
amongst other shameless sycophants arose
The Management quickly set up a committee of doctors and
other staff alike to help probe into which staff leaked such
an information…
They are bent on smoking me out because I washed their
dirty linen in public. Meetings after meetings! It is like
finding a grain in a sand pile! Different heads of
departments were called and interviewed thoroughly. They
are still playing silly suspicions on the wrong set of staff
(Doctors and Nurses alike).
I am everywhere in FMCB, what is then the use? What if I
am within the management itself? Ridiculously Stupid!
It is funny how they are bent on finding me out rather than
solving the actual problem.
For the first few days, they were focused only on trying to
find the culprit. The MD, Dr. Aminu Usman had no choice
but to come back from his ‘unapproved’ sabbatical
vacation. Hell had been let loose.
How they finally obtained ‘limited’ diesel remains the
biggest mystery. The management thus gave the order to
turn on the generator for two hours every day now. The
time slot is from 10 pm -12 am .
What this meant was: should a patient require an
emergency surgery, he/she would have to wait till they put
on the generator. Smart right? All medical investigations
and tests are kept on pause till that golden time:
10pm-12am only…. What a joke!
I still doubt if the MD, Dr. Usman Aminu has ears. Is his
counsel really from the Emir of Bida? A big question
Should I say water supply has improved? It is only pumped
during the golden hour…. It most times gets finished before
noon of the next day. Who is fooling who?
Well, No deaths have occurred since the article…. A big
surprise I must say! Oxygen is back in the circulation pipes
(doesn’t last long but it is ok!)…Our torchlights to help
conduct deliveries are still in our bags and purses… they are
still useful just in case.
The people of Bida are so naïve. I have worked and lived
with them for years now, and I know this as a fact. It pains
me. All they do is shout behind closed doors.
Before I published that article on July 5th, 2016… I
interacted with lots of colleagues, patients, and other staff…
The responses were all the same: the MD is Incompetent
and has failed and should not go scot-free from the hands
of justice.
It is my deepest wish that, Dr. Usman Aminu be
interrogated and tried. This is why:
We most times certify dead patients under the hoax that is
‘was a medical condition’ when truly it was clearly an
avoidable managerial fault. Should we as doctors go on like
this? Didn’t we swear, to be honest? How do we get better
this way? Should we as healthcare professionals continue
like this? What if it was someone you knew? What if it was
your own father, child, mother, sister, brother, son or
daughter? What if?
Let us call a spade a spade!
The MD should retire in handcuffs.
Any staff of this institution that refutes these facts laid
above or in the previous article does himself/herself and
generations a great disservice.
And it gets interesting….
Ending of Last week, the management got a call form ‘Ogas
at the top’ asking questions.
But let me ask: what do you expect to hear when you ask a
thief if he stole or if you ask a murderer if he just killed
someone? If the government is serious in investigating this,
they should do so discretely and should not inform the
management of their arrival.
They should be Romans as they are coming to Rome. Then
you’d see for yourself. This is my candid opinion.
So today, July 11, 2016, the management of the federal
medical centre Bida, organized a staged a media coverage.
The night before this staged media tour, missing diesel
magically re-appeared, hospital gate repainted, oxygen
flowing in pipes, water running and staff briefed
( threatened) not to go against the script.
The media coverage today saw that no faults were detected.
The entourage headed by the MD, Dr. Aminu Usman
paraded media around shamefully.
I desperately wanted to go off script as I trailed along from
a distance.
They walked into the Accident and Emergency asking
predetermined questions as usual to the matrons. My God!
I have never seen matrons in such sparkling smile. The ER
was packed with machines and instrument. It was looking
so functional with the cameramen trailing behind. Other
stops were in the Pediatric Emergency Room, the Labor
Ward, etc. As expected, doctors were not interviewed just
matrons were asked scripted questions. They had to stick
to the script for fear of the unknown.
How long do we keep deceiving ourselves? Let us call a
spade a spade. Health shouldn’t be joked with. As I pen this
down, Things are still being they way they are… Some
temporary improvements as regards water especially…
What about blood? What about steady light? What about
steady water? What about equipping the pharmacy store?
What about improving facilities to aid quick and prompt
treatment?
The federal government has since given money to this
Centre for the establishment of an Intensive Care Unit [ICU],
which is still lacking. The truth is, any critically ill patient
brought to this Centre, dies just like that!
FMCB still runs on what is tagged “one point agenda”. What
this means that a small generator is used to light one bulb
in all wards. It lights just bulbs with no wall sockets. More
like candle in the dark.
The next MD should take note that it wouldn’t be business
as usual. FMCB isn’t your private fund source or ATM. You
swore to protect life, do it and not the other way round.
I will keep talking till things change. I am passionate about
quality health care in Nigeria.
Thank you!

FMCB Staff

saharareporters.com/2016/07/11/scandal-and-corruption-federal-medical-center-bida-call-justice-stop-joking-lives

Observing