Deceased’s relations manhandled nurse, hospital guard – CMD

ADO EKITI— A staff nurse at the Ekiti State
University Teaching Hospital, Mrs Mary
Akinniyi, was beaten to pulp by relations of a
deceased patient for allegedly applying wrong
medication.
The deceased, Mrs Beatrice Adepoju, who was
said to be suffering from terminal liver ailment
was said to have been kept at a faith-based
home for months before she was brought to
the hospital
The late Adepoju who was initially admitted at
the Accident and Emergency unit of the
hospital on Saturday eventually died on
Sunday
Also, the hospital guard who would have
rescued the assaulted nurse was allegedly
attacked and flung to a nearby glass door
which gave him some cuts.
However, the guard was said to have called for
back up and it was the arrival of the other
security men that saved the situation.
Intention was to kill the staff—CMD
Speaking in Ado Ekiti, yesterday, Acting Chief
Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Kolawole
Ogundipe, alleged that the nurse's hands were
held to the back by one of the enraged
relations while another held her by the throat.
He said: "To us, this was not a reprimand by
the relatives of the patient but a clear case of
an attempt to kill an officer of the state in our
employ.
"We are used to verbal attacks and other forms
through which patients' relatives react to the
death of their loved ones. But this is different.
The intention was to kill the staff on duty and
that is the worrisome aspect of this, it was not
to reprimand."
Represented by Dr Kayode Ajite, the CMD said
the patient was brought to the Accident and
Emergency Ward (A&E) of the hospital where
she was stabilised and subsequently taken to
the Female Medical Ward on admission.
According to Ogundipe, "the patient's
condition deteriorated which made the nurse
to request that the relations should get the
necessary injectable that would keep the
patient stable while they waited for the
prescribed drugs.
"The patient in the process died and the
ignorant relations thought it was the injection
given by the nurse that caused the death,
therefore transferred their emotion on her.
"Two daughters of the patient, who were at the
scene, attacked our staff, held her hands,
choked her and held her nostril. That was an
intention to kill."
Police are being partisan
The hospital management equally indicted the
police for alleged covering up.
He said: "The police are being partisan in the
matter and we do not feel comfortable with
that.
"Our integrity is at stake and we want the
police to investigate the matter and clear our
name and we have called for autopsy to
determine the actual cause of the patient's
death."