By Miracle Ogunde
The family of the four children who allegedly died of food poisoning has strongly refuted claims by the Ondo State Commissioner for Health that doctors at the University Medical Centre, UNIMED, Akure, acted swiftly in trying to save the victims.
Earlier reports by Starnews NG revealed that the tragic deaths of a grandmother and four children in Akure were linked to food poisoning, with allegations of negligence directed at the management of UNIMED.
The family, however, insists that the hospital’s management was indifferent, calling for a full investigation into the cause of death.
During an interview with Starnews NG, the grieving parents of the deceased expressed their devastation over the loss of their children.
The incident, which occurred on Gaga Street, Oke Aro, Akure, Ondo State, has sparked widespread reactions.
In a bid to address the allegations, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Banji Ajaka while speaking with The Punch denied any wrongdoing by the hospital, stating that medical professionals, including consultants, made every effort to save the lives of the children.
He also dismissed claims that the hospital lacked adequate facilities for the treatment.
“I was at the hospital personally. There were four consultants and other doctors who worked tirelessly to save the children, but they unfortunately passed away. It’s not true that the hospital lacked the necessary facilities,” Dr Ajaka insisted.
However, in a swift rebuttal, Mr Ayo Fasogbon, brother to the mother of the deceased children, described the Commissioner’s defence as false.
According to him, the doctor on duty initially dismissed the severity of the situation, even suggesting that the children be given palm oil as a remedy.
He also criticised the unresponsiveness of the hospital staff, claiming the children were turned away when they first arrived, despite displaying symptoms similar to their grandmother, who had died after consuming the same pap.
“The real issue here is not just the lack of treatment but the hospital’s failure to respond promptly when the children were first brought in. The same symptoms that led to their grandmother’s death—vomiting and stomach pains—were present in the children, yet the hospital turned them away,” Fasogbon stated.
“The initial first aid was denied, which could have saved the children’s lives. The doctor at the Trauma Centre in Ondo later confirmed that the absence of first aid contributed to the fatalities. Unfortunately, doctors tend to cover for each other,” he added.
Fasogbon also claimed that the hospital lacked essential medical equipment, revealing that staff informed them that the necessary testing apparatus for the pap wasn’t available anywhere in Ondo State.
“That’s a lie. The Accident & Emergency unit, especially the children’s section, is in a terrible state. Anyone can go and check it out. It’s shameful that such a facility exists in the state capital.”
He further pointed out that the Commissioner visited the hospital on a personal trip, not to check on the children, and contradicted the claim that four consultants attended to them, insisting there was only one consultant and a doctor available.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Ondo State, Dr Muyiwa Alonge, responded cautiously, admitting he was not fully briefed on the matter.
“I don’t have complete information about the management of the case, so it’s hard for me to take a position. However, I believe the parents should have gone back to the hospital to report their concerns. Also, the facility needed to test the pap is only available in Lagos,” Dr Alonge said.
Responding to allegations that the doctor attending to the children was browsing on his phone, Dr Alonge clarified that doctors sometimes use their phones for medical purposes, such as calculating drug dosages.
“Unless they saw him actually browsing, using a phone doesn’t automatically mean negligence,” he explained.
The deceased children were aged nine, eight, six, and three, while their grandmother, Mrs Esther Adeola, was 68 years old. Although the precise cause of death remains unclear, food poisoning from contaminated pap is suspected.
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