Barely two months after Minister of State for Labour and Employment ,James Ocholi died in a ghastly motor accident with his wife and son in Doka village, along Abuja-Kaduna expressway, the spot of the crash is in the news again.
The six Ekiti state doctors who died in an accident on Sunday night have also been said to have met their misfortune on the same spot as Ocholi.
According to eye witnesses’ account, just as Ocholi’s SUV somersaulted many times due to a burst tyre before crashing, the 18-seater bus the doctors were travelling in also had a burst tyre and somersaulted many times before kiling the six doctors and their driver.
The doctors were on their way to Sokoto to represent their state chapter in a Nigerian Medical Association delegate conference.
One of the survivors, Dr. John Akinbote has however blamed lack of immediate proper medical attention for the death of his colleagues.
Dr. Akinbote, who is the chairman of the Ekiti chapter spoke with journalists on his hospital bed at Saint Gerald’s Catholic Hospital, Kaduna where other seven surviving doctors are currently receiving treatment.
“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 worse, 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,” he lamented.
Meanwhile, the NMA has released the identity of the delegates who were victims of the crash.
According to a statement signed by NMA President, Dr. Kayode Obembe and Secretray, Dr.Adewunmi Alayaki, six of doctors and a driver have been confirmed dead and these are their names:
1.Dr. Alex Akinyele – Secretary NMA Ekiti, Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH), Ido Ekiti.
2.Dr. Tunde Aladesanmi – General Surgeon, FTH, Ido Ekiti
3. Dr. O.J. Taiwo – Anatomic Pathologist, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), Ado-Ekiti
4. Dr. Ogunseye J.B – National Association of General and Government Medical and Dental Practitioners (NAGGMDP) National Secretary, Hospital Management Board (HMB), Ekiti.
5.Dr. Olajide .O – Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), EKSUTH President.
6.Dr. Atolani Adeniyi – Secretary NAGGMDP, Ekiti State.
7. Mr. Ajibola – NMA Ekiti Driver
The statement continued: ” Other members of the delegates who survived the accident are in stable condition and are receiving medical attention under the auspices of the Chairman of the Kaduna State NMA and his team.
“The bereaved families have been contacted and arrangements are in motion to convey the bodies back to Ekiti State.
“NOC has sent its representatives to Kaduna for on the spot assessment and compliment the effort of the Kaduna team.
“While the conference continues, the NOC hereby directs that all doctors should observe one week of mourning from Tuesday 26th to Tuesday 3rd of May, 2016. Every doctor should put on Black band on the left arm over white overall.
“NMA is in contact with the bereaved families and burial arrangements will be communicated in due course.”
