₦airaland Forum

centje:
To the living, Death is a painful part of our life. It becomes more painful when it occurs at young age and from a preventable cause. To the diseased student, may her soul rest in peace, Amen!

I really pity the girl, her friends and family, most likely she died out of our poor system. That's a glaring truth!

However, there's a chronic problem among Nigerians, which is, we tend to be carried away by sentiments, no room for critical analysis to prevent such occurrence in future, as we continue to live.

Let's analyse what led to the death of this female student and the actions of her sympathisers afterwards..

From the story flying around, both first hand and news outlets, the student collapsed while taking her bath [ think!... her friends or neighbours, or hostel mates would only notice she has collapsed after a long stay in the bathroom, unless she was taking the bath with another person, so she must have collapsed in the bath room long before it was discovered ]. She was said to have started bleeding Vaginally. She was then rushed to the UPTH ( University of Portharcourt Teaching Hospital) Accident and Emergency (A/E) Unit, where she was told by a nurse that there was no bed space in the A/E unit. She was taken to a private Hospital, but her friends was unaware she died while in transit, so she was certified Dead on Arrival (DOA) at the private hospital. The private hospital, to avoid 'trouble', then referred them back to UPTH where she was taken to morgue. Friends of the diseased student then instigated other students and protest began, and attack was targeted at UPTH, and its staff, especially those at A/E unit. The East west Road(A federal road) was also blocked.

Let's also clarify something about the student. I have worked in a University Medical Centre, and I knew how Theatre Art students were rushed to A/E unit. Then, 5 out of 10 admission in A/E unit were theatre Art students. Why was it so? Reason: They do a lot of rehearsals, very stressful rehearsal, almost 24 hours in most days of the week. What if she has been ill for sometime but didn't seek care?

Now, let's critically look at this student's death. What are the possible causes of her death? We are limited here because we need some basic medical information from her friends, but from the history of vaginal bleeding as a young girl of reproductive age, what comes to mind is Ruptured Ectopic pregnancy, severe Anaemia from menstrual loss, Miscarriage, illegal Abortion ( illegal in Nigeria) and other gynaecological cause of Vaginal bleeding. Other common possibilities include severe malaria ( severe Anaemia ), hypoglycaemia( low blood sugar ) ...

As I write the Hospital is planning for Autopsy on the Diseased student. So findings will be out soon.



Now, What are the problems that eventually led to her death?

First, if she was pregnant, then her Boyfriend should be ready to answer some queries from her parents and investigating team. Did they attempt Abortion? Was it ectopic pregnancy? Pregnancy would have been prevented by simple condom, but most girls dislike condom, yet they have little knowledge on how to monitor their ovulation or use of contraceptive.

Secondly, Theatre Art department need to review the inhumane activities these students pass through as theatre Art students, sometimes they are made to rehearse under the rain, when some of them are asthmatic.

Thirdly, how equipped is their University Medical Centre? Are money not allocated for their medical centre? 'Uniport wasn't born last night', it's an old university. Their medical centre should be able to handle cases like this, unless her friends are hiding something which will spread in the school if they had taken her to their medical centre. Like I said earlier I have worked in a University Medical Centre, I know how students behave in relation to medical treatment. While I worked there I gave serial complaints about setting up a theatre to handle minor surgeries. I was happy the university responded fast, and before I left they were already performing appendicectomy and other surgeries. Can that be said of Uniport medical centre? Who is to blame if it is not equipped? Is the the doctor or the nurse or the Government?

State of of our healthcare system, especially teaching/ tertiary Hospitals. I have also worked in a teaching hospital, a very busy one. It gets so busy that we stop taking in patient into A/E, into the wards. Laboratory results are queued and takes average of 2days to get a lab result, you can now imagine how long it takes to make definitive diagnosis for a patient in critical condition in A/E. You just can't do anything when the teaching hospital capacity is saturated. The worst is the troubles of accessing blood to save an traumatised patient, most time doctors go to lab to beg....not really the fault of the lab scientists per say but the replacement system is poor. Once the patient gets well he refuses to replace the blood used in saving him/her.
Who's fault is it that we have a poor system? The doctor? The nurse? The pharmacist? The lab scientists? The government? The populace?

Poor design of health care network. In countries with good health care network, both hospital (private and government owned hospitals) and state ambulances ( can be bus, van or helicopter ), have a short code one can easily dial in cases of emergency and the response is swift, and while they are moving, they are already giving first aid treatment to the patient, they already know hospitals in the city where there's available bed space, the hospital is contacted and given clue of the kind of case coming, the hospital assembles team of healthcare professionals to receive the patient and start necessary management fast. But then we won't direct our anger to the government in power at any given point in time.

Have you asked yourself what is the population of PH not to talk of Rivers state? Have you also tried to compare such population with the number of government hospitals and the capacity of each hospital, I say government hospital because that is where most River State residents will access cheaper health care. How much has Rivers state government done to ensure easy accessibility of health care her residents? Are there Doctors and equipment In our village healthcare centres?

Again, we can be careless with emergency situations, some states like Enugu, have some ambulance service, Have effective fire service, Have police short code, how many of us make effort to have these codes or numbers, how many know how to administer CPR in case of emergency. I was the one that opened a thread in Health section of Nairaland : TIPS ON COMMON ACCIDENTS AND EMERGENCIES, how many of us have taken time to learn one or two skills there?

In this index case, the students attacked UPTH for perceived negligence, even in the report the Nurse was tagged wicked. Negligence is not out of the question, no one is certain of what transpired until investigation is carried out.
But let's take another angle, for a nurse to tell you there's no space, most likely no space, because I have been with nurses most part of my life. They run shift system, while doctors work 24hrs, so the stress of the hectic hospital work in Nigeria is not so much on them, a doctor is more likely to be overwhelmed by work or to run away from work due to work fatigue than a nurse. So must time when a nurse says there's no space, check very well there won't be space in that hospital, and am sure the students wouldn't take the female student away to another hospital if they could sight an empty space or bed in the A/E unit.

The immediate past Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi once said that they ( politicians) steal because we don't stone them. You can't imagine the happiness I would have felt if these students had directed their grievance to the government, as little as hauling stone to government house would have sent a lot of messages to politicians all over the country. At least the Government at every level would know that Nigerians can rise Against them one day, so they would sit up, build good roads to reduces Road traffic accident as major cause of death in Nigeria, build better universities, plan our Cities well, equip our hospitals, build more hospitals, design a good healthcare network, give health care works their deserved remuneration to avoid industrial action, instead of buying cloth and newspapers for senators, flying presidents and Governors to foreign medical treatment with our tax money.

bushdoc9919:
Thank you.
Unfortunately most people think that we medical folk are bad people.
Thank you.

EVILFOREST:
I see PEOPLE commend him for his ? NICE WRITE UP.

I am also a Medical DOCTOR, what ever may be the CAUSE matters only in history taking.

No matter what the YOUNG LADY did that may have led to her death, she still deserves RIGHT TO LIVE.

After all, I have treated CONVICTED ARMED ROBBERS and KIDNAPPERS who were bought to us by the NAVY, despite passing through MAYHEM in the hands Of armed robbers.

I have treated PROSTITUTES, when they were rushed into the A and E by hoterliers.
So OP whether she did ABORTION or not doesn't matter, that's why you are there

You can imagine punishing you for saving a life how would they have felt if the person was turned back and the person eventually dies

IF what I heard is in accordance with what happened then it is highly CONDEMNABLE.

When I was in F. M. C. OWERRI, we ran out Of BED SPACES, yet we disobeyed the hospital ethics, and admitted ALVAN STUDENTS on the BARE FLOOR... though we got PUNISHED for it.

Am saying this because, ALMIGHTY GOD can bear me witness this hour.
I have done so much and I will do more to preserve the sanctity Of LIFE.

As a DOCTOR, please do the LITTLE you can AND REFER as fast as possible after due explanations

Everywhere u go, u see laxity.
Who is this LAXITY.. ..?

nenergy:
Answer this simple question. Do you need a "bed" to save a person's life?

bushdoc9919:
Well...so the casualty officer admits her.....and gets her to lie on the floor. Puts up a drip....then rushes to attend to the other patinets in casualty....which is filled up.

And one thing about casualty being filled up.....this usually means the wards too are filled up. Now...the Casualty officer calls the obs/gynae assuming the girl has an ectopic. The next thing would be to operate. Unfortunately....the ward is filled up. The theatre too is running at full capacity at night.So...the girl cannot be operated on.

And we need lab tests to be done...yet because the cas is filled up....the lab is running at full capacity.

And there are not too many doctors on duty at night (We run shifts/calls).


I really don't understand all this talk about space ? Is it the space doing the treatment or the nurse, Doctor or casualty officer or whatever name you call them, let's stopped of this talk of bullshit, those nurses on duty must have been sitting down gossiping instead saving a life you all come here and talk about space, what's is wrong with the floor and even a table if the the after is filled up, I pray it does not happen to you. If not you would not mind being treated outside on a field.

So...at the end of the day...the patient still dies because the whole ward was filled up. And we will still get blamed for causing the death.Not the fact that because of delays occasioned by the ward/casualty being filled up.....

Ah well......such is the lot of a doctor.


Now the ideal thing would be....girl slumps...ambulance is called...paramedics respond....and take her to the hospital where there is space as told them by dispatch.

nenergy:
Answer this simple question. Do you need a "bed" to save a person's life?

centje:
To the living, Death is a painful part of our life. It becomes more painful when it occurs at young age and from a preventable cause. To the diseased student, may her soul rest in peace, Amen!

I really pity the girl, her friends and family, most likely she died out of our poor system. That's a glaring truth!

However, there's a chronic problem among Nigerians, which is, we tend to be carried away by sentiments, no room for critical analysis to prevent such occurrence in future, as we continue to live.

Let's analyse what led to the death of this female student and the actions of her sympathisers afterwards..

From the story flying around, both first hand and news outlets, the student collapsed while taking her bath [ think!... her friends or neighbours, or hostel mates would only notice she has collapsed after a long stay in the bathroom, unless she was taking the bath with another person, so she must have collapsed in the bath room long before it was discovered ]. She was said to have started bleeding Vaginally. She was then rushed to the UPTH ( University of Portharcourt Teaching Hospital) Accident and Emergency (A/E) Unit, where she was told by a nurse that there was no bed space in the A/E unit. She was taken to a private Hospital, but her friends was unaware she died while in transit, so she was certified Dead on Arrival (DOA) at the private hospital. The private hospital, to avoid 'trouble', then referred them back to UPTH where she was taken to morgue. Friends of the diseased student then instigated other students and protest began, and attack was targeted at UPTH, and its staff, especially those at A/E unit. The East west Road(A federal road) was also blocked.

Let's also clarify something about the student. I have worked in a University Medical Centre, and I knew how Theatre Art students were rushed to A/E unit. Then, 5 out of 10 admission in A/E unit were theatre Art students. Why was it so? Reason: They do a lot of rehearsals, very stressful rehearsal, almost 24 hours in most days of the week. What if she has been ill for sometime but didn't seek care?

Now, let's critically look at this student's death. What are the possible causes of her death? We are limited here because we need some basic medical information from her friends, but from the history of vaginal bleeding as a young girl of reproductive age, what comes to mind is Ruptured Ectopic pregnancy, severe Anaemia from menstrual loss, Miscarriage, illegal Abortion ( illegal in Nigeria) and other gynaecological cause of Vaginal bleeding. Other common possibilities include severe malaria ( severe Anaemia ), hypoglycaemia( low blood sugar ) ...

As I write the Hospital is planning for Autopsy on the Diseased student. So findings will be out soon.



Now, What are the problems that eventually led to her death?

First, if she was pregnant, then her Boyfriend should be ready to answer some queries from her parents and investigating team. Did they attempt Abortion? Was it ectopic pregnancy? Pregnancy would have been prevented by simple condom, but most girls dislike condom, yet they have little knowledge on how to monitor their ovulation or use of contraceptive.

Secondly, Theatre Art department need to review the inhumane activities these students pass through as theatre Art students, sometimes they are made to rehearse under the rain, when some of them are asthmatic.

Thirdly, how equipped is their University Medical Centre? Are money not allocated for their medical centre? 'Uniport wasn't born last night', it's an old university. Their medical centre should be able to handle cases like this, unless her friends are hiding something which will spread in the school if they had taken her to their medical centre. Like I said earlier I have worked in a University Medical Centre, I know how students behave in relation to medical treatment. While I worked there I gave serial complaints about setting up a theatre to handle minor surgeries. I was happy the university responded fast, and before I left they were already performing appendicectomy and other surgeries. Can that be said of Uniport medical centre? Who is to blame if it is not equipped? Is the the doctor or the nurse or the Government?

State of of our healthcare system, especially teaching/ tertiary Hospitals. I have also worked in a teaching hospital, a very busy one. It gets so busy that we stop taking in patient into A/E, into the wards. Laboratory results are queued and takes average of 2days to get a lab result, you can now imagine how long it takes to make definitive diagnosis for a patient in critical condition in A/E. You just can't do anything when the teaching hospital capacity is saturated. The worst is the troubles of accessing blood to save an traumatised patient, most time doctors go to lab to beg....not really the fault of the lab scientists per say but the replacement system is poor. Once the patient gets well he refuses to replace the blood used in saving him/her.
Who's fault is it that we have a poor system? The doctor? The nurse? The pharmacist? The lab scientists? The government? The populace?

Poor design of health care network. In countries with good health care network, both hospital (private and government owned hospitals) and state ambulances ( can be bus, van or helicopter ), have a short code one can easily dial in cases of emergency and the response is swift, and while they are moving, they are already giving first aid treatment to the patient, they already know hospitals in the city where there's available bed space, the hospital is contacted and given clue of the kind of case coming, the hospital assembles team of healthcare professionals to receive the patient and start necessary management fast. But then we won't direct our anger to the government in power at any given point in time.

Have you asked yourself what is the population of PH not to talk of Rivers state? Have you also tried to compare such population with the number of government hospitals and the capacity of each hospital, I say government hospital because that is where most River State residents will access cheaper health care. How much has Rivers state government done to ensure easy accessibility of health care her residents? Are there Doctors and equipment In our village healthcare centres?

Again, we can be careless with emergency situations, some states like Enugu, have some ambulance service, Have effective fire service, Have police short code, how many of us make effort to have these codes or numbers, how many know how to administer CPR in case of emergency. I was the one that opened a thread in Health section of Nairaland : TIPS ON COMMON ACCIDENTS AND EMERGENCIES, how many of us have taken time to learn one or two skills there?

In this index case, the students attacked UPTH for perceived negligence, even in the report the Nurse was tagged wicked. Negligence is not out of the question, no one is certain of what transpired until investigation is carried out.
But let's take another angle, for a nurse to tell you there's no space, most likely no space, because I have been with nurses most part of my life. They run shift system, while doctors work 24hrs, so the stress of the hectic hospital work in Nigeria is not so much on them, a doctor is more likely to be overwhelmed by work or to run away from work due to work fatigue than a nurse. So must time when a nurse says there's no space, check very well there won't be space in that hospital, and am sure the students wouldn't take the female student away to another hospital if they could sight an empty space or bed in the A/E unit.

The immediate past Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi once said that they ( politicians) steal because we don't stone them. You can't imagine the happiness I would have felt if these students had directed their grievance to the government, as little as hauling stone to government house would have sent a lot of messages to politicians all over the country. At least the Government at every level would know that Nigerians can rise Against them one day, so they would sit up, build good roads to reduces Road traffic accident as major cause of death in Nigeria, build better universities, plan our Cities well, equip our hospitals, build more hospitals, design a good healthcare network, give health care works their deserved remuneration to avoid industrial action, instead of buying cloth and newspapers for senators, flying presidents and Governors to foreign medical treatment with our tax money.

possibilita:
why is it that when something has happen we see someone trying to defend d offender?d op may b right but that girl have the Right to be treated Right,there is diff. Btw when a space was founded for her emergence n when she is rejected,died and management starts looking for cause of death,if she was accepted they wud have done a test to acertain d cause of the emergence now she is dead they want to look for cause of death to shift the blame,n op talking abt youth shifting their fury to the govt here is unacceptable,looted health fund or not it wasn't the govt that rejected her,it was the hospital.they don't have space for they living but they do for the dead.

AdaNri1:
Very intersting analysis. RIP to the victim.




Op I think the word is deceased

ladyF:
The write up is very on point. But why did they reject someone that is in critical condition, even referring her somewhere else wasn't thoughtful as time is limited, they should have stabilised her, at least. Let us wait and see what the autopsy uncovers. God help Nigeria!

It's [size=20pt]LadyF[/size] again

nasty45:
Nice write up,notwithstanding the students said it has become a repeated occurrence and so shd be fixed

possibilita:
why is it that when something has happen we see someone trying to defend d offender?d op may b right but that girl have the Right to be treated Right,there is diff. Btw when a space was founded for her emergence n when she is rejected,died and management starts looking for cause of death,if she was accepted they wud have done a test to acertain d cause of the emergence now she is dead they want to look for cause of death to shift the blame,n op talking abt youth shifting their fury to the govt here is unacceptable,looted health fund or not it wasn't the govt that rejected her,it was the hospital.they don't have space for they living but they do for the dead.

EVILFOREST:
I see PEOPLE commend him for his ? NICE WRITE UP.

I am also a Medical DOCTOR, what ever may be the CAUSE matters only in history taking.

No matter what the YOUNG LADY did that may have led to her death, she still deserves RIGHT TO LIVE.

After all, I have treated CONVICTED ARMED ROBBERS and KIDNAPPERS who were bought to us by the NAVY, despite passing through MAYHEM in the hands Of armed robbers.

I have treated PROSTITUTES, when they were rushed into the A and E by hoterliers.
So OP whether she did ABORTION or not doesn't matter, that's why you are there

IF what I heard is in accordance with what happened then it is highly CONDEMNABLE.

When I was in F. M. C. OWERRI, we ran out Of BED SPACES, yet we disobeyed the hospital ethics, and admitted ALVAN STUDENTS on the BARE FLOOR... though we got PUNISHED for it.

Am saying this because, ALMIGHTY GOD can bear me witness this hour.
I have done so much and I will do more to preserve the sanctity Of LIFE.

As a DOCTOR, please do the LITTLE you can AND REFER as fast as possible after due explanations

Everywhere u go, u see laxity.
Who is this LAXITY.. ..?

nenergy:
Answer this simple question. Do you need a "bed" to save a person's life?

gare:
I really don't understand all this talk about space ? Is it the space doing the treatment or the nurse, Doctor or casualty officer or whatever name you call them, let's stopped of this talk of bullshit, those nurses on duty must have been sitting down gossiping instead saving a life you all come here and talk about space, what's is wrong with the floor and even a table if the the after is filled up, I pray it does not happen to you. If not you would not mind being treated outside on a field.

oguego:
u don't know nothing,

u just sit down and write whatever u like.... dis thing that happened has been happening in the hospital for a very long time,

and the hospital inside school campus doesn't have much facilities,

...so don't try to say what u don't know...

the other day it was a case of a doctor certifying someone dead only for the mortuary attendants to return the body confirming that the person is still alive.... so many things happen in upth

gare:
Keep your write up to yourself, we talking about someone's life you are showing us your thesis, as far as I am concerned you have failed, you should have focus more of saving life then giving us history of what we already know.

How can you see some at the point of death no matter what may have happened before, your first instinct is to save life, tomorrow they will go on strike for killing people, if I where the govt the next time they proceed on strike I will fire all of them, its better we don'thave then for us to feel we have mmedical personnel.

InvertedHammer:
/
You are not making any sense. The most important thing in this story is that the victim was rushed to a medical facility. As a trained personnel, whether they have beds or not is a non issue. The first response would had been to initiate Advanced cardiac life support using medications, Iv infusion and AED if necessary. Once the patient is stabilized, then she would be transferred to another facility. Common sense is not common among you quacks parading as medical personnel in Nigeria.

UPTH A/E denied the lady the right to live.
All the running around with a patient who deserved emergency medical attention is callous. It is sad how you people get away with murder by negligence.

With your mindset, you should not be allowed 100meters near a patient.
/

nenergy:
Answer this simple question. Do you need a "bed" to save a person's life?

chuna1985:
Apart from other medical sector related problems in nigeria, Many, if not most Nigerian doctors n nurses r senseless, useless, stupidd, heartless, etc..

uncleu:
The writer has little information yet decided to write a long essay on something he knows nothing about. UPTH is University of Portharcourt Teaching Hospital. It is not a university medical center. They have so many doctors on call at any particular time. It is not the duty of a nurse to triage patients in a teaching hospital. The casualty officer ought to have seen the young lady first.. bed space or no bed space.

Like someone pointed out earlier , in cases of road traffic accidents and other emergencies hospitals often admit patients on the floor. A tertiary health center cannot send a patient away . The other tertiary center in Portharcourt is BMH which is very far from UNIPORT.

ladyF:
The write up is very on point. But why did they reject someone that is in critical condition, even referring her somewhere else wasn't thoughtful as time is limited, they should have stabilised her, at least. Let us wait and see what the autopsy uncovers. God help Nigeria!

It's [size=20pt]LadyF[/size] again

EVILFOREST:
I see PEOPLE commend him for his ? NICE WRITE UP.

I am also a Medical DOCTOR, what ever may be the CAUSE matters only in history taking.

No matter what the YOUNG LADY did that may have led to her death, she still deserves RIGHT TO LIVE.

After all, I have treated CONVICTED ARMED ROBBERS and KIDNAPPERS who were bought to us by the NAVY, despite passing through MAYHEM in the hands Of armed robbers.

I have treated PROSTITUTES, when they were rushed into the A and E by hoterliers.
So OP whether she did ABORTION or not doesn't matter, that's why you are there

IF what I heard is in accordance with what happened then it is highly CONDEMNABLE.

When I was in F. M. C. OWERRI, we ran out Of BED SPACES, yet we disobeyed the hospital ethics, and admitted ALVAN STUDENTS on the BARE FLOOR... though we got PUNISHED for it.

Am saying this because, ALMIGHTY GOD can bear me witness this hour.
I have done so much and I will do more to preserve the sanctity Of LIFE.

As a DOCTOR, please do the LITTLE you can AND REFER as fast as possible after due explanations

Everywhere u go, u see laxity.
Who is this LAXITY.. ..?

teamchocolate:
You would know pple who did not even do any bit of science but feel they are learned once they start spewing trash....



Even in developed health care systems which I have been privileged to be a part of.. once a patient lands the a/e, one has to take a brief history, examine, run tests then treat.. now this doesn't have to follow the sequence I av outlined, this is where the doctor's discretion comes in.


And you talk of advanced cardiac life support and AED. Pls u need to be sure if the hospital had ' advanced cardiac life support' before u open ur mouth to condemn the doctor.. most teaching hospitals in Nigeria are glorified health centres and we all know this.. when doctors went on strike to protest poor working conditions and lack of infrastructure and equipment, where were you all? You will get to a hospital and there will be no light.. Na magic dey run the advanced cardiac life support I remember as a medical intern, I personally had to manually ambubag a pre-term baby all night long, something that the child should have been on a mechanical ventilator..of cos when I came back later in the day, the child was gone...sometimes, no oxygen, no electricity, nothing. And. You expect the doctors to do magic...better hold your government who by the way I always encounter in foreign hospitals accountable..Medical care anywhere in the world is very expensive and needs a lot of capital investment.. until govt officials start using those teaching hospitals, they would remain as they are... DEAD.

Also the issue of training resident doctors has been on the front burner.. no one seems to care..
Hold your govt accountable and stop spewing venom on health care workers who are doing their best for this kind of set-up...

Note that most brilliant doctors in the U.S are of Nigerian origin..many of who even trained in Nigeria... tells u a lot doesn't it..