Alleged Food Poisoning: Residents urged Aiyedatiwa to probe death of four children at Ondo Hospital

…Insist Many Lives Have Been Lost at UNIMED Due to Doctors’ Negligence

By Miracle Ogunde

Residents of Ondo State have blamed the deaths of four children, suspected to have succumbed to food poisoning, on the management of the state’s General Hospital, formerly known as the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Akure branch.

Starnews NG earlier reported the deaths of five people, including a grandmother and four children, at the hospital. The negligence of UNIMED’s Akure branch management has been widely blamed for the tragedy.

The bereaved family, adamant that their children died due to the negligence of the doctors on duty, has called on the state governor to investigate the incident.

Grieving residents expressed outrage over the hospital’s management, accusing them of a lackadaisical attitude that they believe contributed to the children’s untimely deaths.

They lamented the delayed treatment when the children were initially brought to the hospital, questioning why prompt care was not administered immediately upon arrival.

Several netizens reacted to the news on Starnews’ page, describing the situation as heartbreaking.

They argued that the children’s deaths could have been avoided if the hospital’s management had acted swiftly. Many called on the Ondo State Governor, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, to launch a full investigation and, if necessary, punish culpable staff members to serve as a warning to others.

In a related development, residents who commented on GlowFM’s *Ara n Be* Show on Tuesday expressed similar sentiments. They harshly criticised UNIMED staff for their alleged unresponsiveness to patients, stressing that this attitude has led to numerous preventable deaths in the state.

One caller, who wished to remain anonymous, said the hospital’s indifferent approach to work was responsible for the death of his close relative at UNIMED’s Akure branch. He stated that his relative was not attended to in time, resulting in her premature death.

He urged the state government to take immediate action to safeguard the lives of its citizens and ensure state hospitals are properly equipped to provide timely and effective care.

The parents of the deceased children have also appealed to the governor to set up an investigative panel to determine the exact cause of their children’s deaths, suspecting that the wrong injection was administered. They have demanded an autopsy and called for an investigation into the conduct of UNIMED staff.