Family Kicks Over Death of Ibadan School Headmistress

The family of Mrs. Ajayi Omowunmi Fajuyigbe has accused multiple Ibadan hospitals of negligence after she died following repeated rejections and delayed emergency treatment, sparking outrage over failures in Nigeria’s healthcare system.

The family of Mrs. Ajayi Omowunmi Fajuyigbe, a school headmistress, is speaking out after she died following repeated rejections from several hospitals in Ibadan, Oyo State. Mrs. Fajuyigbe, headmistress of the Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives Association (NAOWA) Model Nursery and Primary School, Letmuck Barracks, Mokola, was taken to multiple hospitals on January 13 but was turned away due to various reasons.

According to her sister, Mrs. Olawore Opeyemi, the experience was traumatic and highlighted the failures of Nigeria’s health system, particularly emergency medical services. The family visited seven hospitals, including facilities in Mokola, Odogbo, Adeoyo, Oluyoro, and Basorun, before finding one that admitted her at 1:00 a.m. after paying a substantial sum.

Olawore alleged that despite admission, the required urgent surgery wasn’t performed, and her sister went into coma and died. “It is painful that hospitals appear more interested in money than saving lives,” she said. This incident has sparked debate on the lack of effective emergency response systems in Nigerian hospitals and the shortage of medical personnel.

The incident has raised concerns about the state of healthcare in Nigeria, with many calling for urgent action to address gaps in emergency medical care and tackle the manpower crisis in the health sector. “My sister’s life could have been saved if she had received prompt attention,” Olawore said.

The family is demanding answers and accountability from the hospitals involved. The Nigerian government has been urged to address the systemic issues plaguing the healthcare system.

This is not an isolated incident, as similar cases of medical negligence have been reported in Nigerian hospitals. The lack of emergency response systems and shortage of medical personnel are ongoing concerns.

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SOURCES: ALLSCHOOL, THE NATION