Chairman, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Ekiti State branch, Dr. John Akinbote, has said that lack of immediate proper medical attention was responsible for the death of six Ekiti State medical doctors that died following their involvement in auto crash Sunday night along Abuja-Kaduna expressway.
Dr. Akinbote made the claim while speaking with journalists on his hospital bed on Monday at Saint Gerald’s Catholic Hospital, where other seven surviving doctors are currently receiving treatment.
He said: “Those that died would have survived if we got good medical attention from the point of the accident to the Doka General Hospital in Kaduna.
“It became even worst, when we got to Doka Hospital, there was no single Doctor to attend to us and the only nurse on duty had no first aid facilities to administer treatment.
“I am sure, if personnel of Federal Road Safety, FRSC that took us to Doka Hospital and the nurse on duty had medical facilities to give first aid treatment, our doctors and driver wouldn’t have died.”
According to two of the survivors, who spoke to journalists at Saint Gerald’s Catholic Hospital, Kaduna, they were 13 doctors and a driver in an 18-seater vehicle, but after the accident occurred six doctors and a driver died.
The Doctors, it was gathered, left Ekiti on Saturday to attend the Nigeria Medical Association delegates conference in Sokoto, but were sent to early grave after the vehicle’s tyre burst, hit the side breakers and somersaulted severally before it stopped.
One of the survivors, Dr. Stephen Ayosanmi, who spoke to journalists from his hospital bed at St. Gerald, said a tyre burst caused the accident.
It was also gathered that the accident occurred at the spot where former Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, James Ocholi, had a similar auto crash and died along with his wife and a son.
Those who lost their lives in the auto crash included Dr. Alade Sani, Dr. OJ Taiwo, Dr. Akinyele Lexy, Dr. Ogunseye, Dr. Olagide, Dr. Adeniyi James, and Mr. Ajibola (Driver).
Meanwhile, Senator Shehu Sani representing Kaduna Central District under the umbrella of All Progressives Congress (APC) who visited the surviving Doctors at the hospital condoled with the Ekiti State Government and NMA, just as he urged the Federal government to fix all bad portions of the road to forestall future recurrence.