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The nine-man independent and investigative panel constituted by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesome Wike, to probe the death of 33-year-old ‘one chance’ victim, Ms. Greatness Olorunfemi, has declared that she was brought in dead to Maitaima District Hospital, Abuja, contrary to social media claims.
The panel also disclosed that the hospital did not request a police report before attending to Olorunfemi.
On September 26, Olorunfemi was reportedly stabbed and thrown out of a moving vehicle along the Maitama-Kubwa highway.
On October 4, Wike, however, constituted a nine-member panel to investigate the death.
The panel consists of the Nigerian Medical Association, the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria, the Medical Women Association of Nigeria, the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, and the Association of Resident Doctors.
Others are the Association of Pathologists of Nigeria, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, the General Counsel, FCTA, and the Health Services Department.
Speaking at the public release of the investigative report on the death of Ms Olorunfemi on Wednesday, the chairman of the panel, Prof Muhammad Muhammad, confirmed that she was brought in dead at the hospital and there was no evidence that she bled before arrival or after arrival at the hospital.
“We have three terms of reference which were to determine if she was brought in alive or dead and what transpired up to her death. Secondly, we were to find out if she bled to death while she was in Miatama District Hospital and to make recommendations on how to forestall future occurrences.
“What is clear to us from the interview we had with all the interested parties that honoured our invitations conclusively found out that she was brought in dead and she was not bleeding and did not bleed and there was no evidence that she bled before arrival or after arrival at the hospital.
“We also find out that the nurse, under 40 seconds saw her, the house officer saw her in three minutes before a casualty officer saw her in five minutes.
“Also, there was no demand for a police report prior to her attendance because we can see that all the people who came to see her body did not talk to the good samaritan who brought her until after they had seen her convey their findings to them.”
The panel, however, faulted the hospital in the handling of Ms Olorunfemi’s body as being unethical.
“We also found that the handling of her body was below standard and the reason was that the system was overwhelmed at that point. There were three bodies and all the other beds inside the emergency were occupied by patients and then the last body to be brought before Ms Greatness was occupying the available stretcher.
“We made some recommendations that will go a long way in improving infrastructure, improving staffing, training and retraining, and incentives for healthcare personnel. We also made a recommendation that the coroner law that will allow for an early autopsy should be reviewed because the one we are using was before Nigeria’s independence. It is only Lagos state that has reviewed theirs to ensure autopsy for every death and early autopsy,” Muhammad added.
On her part, the Mandate Secretary, Health Services & Environment Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory, Dr. Dolapo Fasawe, noted that Olorunfemi’s death which was due to insecurity in the FCT was avoidable.
“Meanwhile, the FCT Minister has told all the security arms of the FCT to beef up security and he is committed to ensuring safe transportation for commuters in the territory. In the next couple of months, I believe we will reduce the incidence of insecurity
“From what we have heard, she was brought in dead. Social media brings up unnecessary sentiments sometimes, but it helps us to look inward. A couple of weeks ago, the police reiterated that medical caregivers are to save lives first, the law does not in any way say we must see a police report before we save a patient’s life,” Dr Fasawe said.
She said the FCT was working with the police to ensure there is a police post in every hospital in the territory.
“We made provision to expand the mortuary and considering PPP to have more support to our mortuaries and in accepting and the way we treat brought-in-dead patients.
“I apologise to the family of Ms Greatness for the way her body was treated even after confirming her death. The human body should be treated with dignity and respect.
“We look forward to further police investigation into the cause of this unavoidable death and we hope that the perpetrators of this evil will be brought to justice,” she said.
