It was a day of wailing and mourning for the government own specialist hospital community in lokoja kogi state capital as one Dr. Chukudibe Rosemary died , one doctor Idris Nuhu with three nurses and a ward attendant collapsed and hospitalized while on their duty post at the hospital monday.The incident which claimed the life of Dr. Rosemary and others hospitalized was attributed to non payment of salaries to the health sector for months, it was further learnt.
This is as the chairman of the National Union of Local Government Employees ( NULGE ) Olamaboro LGA comrade Godwin Sule (AKA) Ghadafi and a Director with the state ministry of education collapsed and died in their offices.
It was further learnt that the deceased doctor Chukudibe Rosemary who was among the pioneer staff of the hospital and the HOD Internal Medicine was admitted on Sunday evening for heart related issues , when she suddenly developed complications around 2 am yesterday while colleagues battled for over five hours but lost her in the early hours of Monday.
On hearing the news of the passing of Dr Rosemary, another, Dr Idris Nuhu and three Nurses and attendant who worked in the same ward with her slumped simultaneously and currently on admission at the Maternity ward.
Our correspondent who visited the state specialist hospital on Monday could not ascertain the names of the nurses as they have been heavily sedated and under close watch of fellow Nurses.
Speaking to our corredpondent,Dr Moses Adaudi,the Secretary, Association of Residence Doctors, Kogi state specialist hospital unit who confirmed the incident said that the death of the Doctor was as a result of lack of functional equipment in the Intensive Care Unit at the hospital where she could have been treated when she developed complications.
“There was no oxygen spanner to place her on oxygen ,even when she was to undergo some tests,there was no money to carry out the test.”
He called on the state government to make the welfare of civil servants especially the health workers a top priority
> Nurses who spoke with our correspondent on condition of annonimity said that Dr Rosemary was a well loved, thorough bred professional whose death had created a very big vacuum difficult to be filled.
> Our source said that all the three Nurses have been on duty since Saturday morning and have been exhausted due to workloads which had increased in the last two months due to the strike of Joint Health Sector Union, JOHESU.
According to them , the condition of service is appalling as one nurse is made to attend to over 30 patients against the international standard of one nurse to four patients.
> “She died as a result of lack of money to by her drugs as she was not paid March salary when others were paid last Thursday and for somebody who has not been paid since February and have been missing her drugs since,it will not be difficult to understand the complications that set in during the night” said the Nurses still mourning their colleagues.
It was gathered that her name and that of Dr.Nuhu and many others were not captured on the pay role for the March salary
When contacted the Chief Medical Director Dr. Ehalaye confirmed the incident but said the management is on top of the situation.
