Posted by Samuel on Sun 09th May, 2021 - tori.ng
Nigerians are recounting instances where the nation’s healthcare system has disappointed them, leading to dashed hopes and loss of lives.
A number of angry Nigerians on Twitter have started a #JusticeforOmolara campaign after it was reported that a woman, Omolara Omoyajuwolo, died from suspected overdose of injections from nurses at an Ogun State hospital.
Nigerians are recounting instances where the nation’s healthcare system has disappointed them, leading to dashed hopes and loss of lives.
The hashtag ‘#JusticeForOmolara’ is trending with over 5,000 tweets.
It all began when a close friend of the deceased narrated how Omolara who had ulcer, died.
According to the narrator, Omolara had complained of peptic ulcer pain and immediately went to the hospital to get treatment. She was tested, injected and treated for malaria.
The friend said, “My friend Lara was feeling some type of ulcer attack as she claimed on her phone status and she went to the hospital where she tested positive also for Malaria. According to her, she was given some injections and then she went back home.
“I got to Lara’s place at past 10pm. She had tried to eat and vomited, she was sweating profusely. I started to clean, she vomited again. I went to her neighbour so we could go back to the hospital since she wasn’t getting better, she was breathing hard too.
“We got to Beachland Hospital, Arepo (Ogun State) and she saw the same doctor that attended to her initially. I excused them but I heard him say 'I’ll have to admit you.' I saw a nurse there giving her some injections through her hands (the way they give drips). Lara was so uncomfortable; she kept on insisting that she couldn’t lie down because she was not breathing well.
“Somehow, Lara lost consciousness, a doctor came in and said she (the new doctor) didn’t know it was this kind of case (meaning it was critical) and then asked that she be placed on oxygen.
“I made efforts myself and at some point I went to the emergency room to get the oxygen myself. I almost lifted it alone before one of the nurses came to give me aid and eventually another collected it from me. She was placed on oxygen.
“At almost 1am, they said they needed to refer her (to another hospital). They said I needed to get someone to come and pick us up. I approached the first doctor that attended to her as he was writing the referral letter and tried to ask some things, he didn’t respond.
“I thought they would let us go with the oxygen, a nurse only brought it to the car door and put it in Lara’s nostrils for a while, I even thought she was gonna go with us. They left us and told Lara’s neighbour to move with the 'highest speed'.
“They placed her head on my laps and asked me to raise my laps, the windows were wound down as they advised. When we got to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, the doctors at the medical emergency announced that Lara was dead and they filled a form stating ‘BID’ (Brought in dead). She died on my laps and in my arms.”
The friend lamented that she believed Omolara’s health was mismanaged and should be investigated.
She called on Nigerians to help amplify her case to the appropriate authorities.