Health Workers Protest Death Of Colleague In Kogi

Ward Attendants at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja in Kogi State on Tuesday staged a peaceful protest over the death of one of their colleagues, Salamatu Aliu.

The death of the deceased, an attendant with the post-natal ward of the hospital motivated the protest where the workers appealed to the Federal Ministry of Health to beam its searchlight on the hospital.

One of the attendants who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Aliu was rushed to the hospital for medical attention on Sunday evening after observing 7-day night shift.

However, for lack of electricity at the hospital, the ailing staff was alleged to have been referred to the Specialist Hospital in Lokoja by doctors and nurses on duty.

According to the unnamed attendant, Aliu died on getting to the Specialist Hospital prior to receiving medical care.

The protesters accused the doctors and nurses at the Federal Teaching Hospital of nonchalant attitude in the death of the attendant.

They said the alleged negligence by the doctors and nurses as unbecoming of the Accident and Emergency Ward.

The Ward Attendants chanted songs such as “All lives matter and are equal. “Stop treating us unfairly as if we are not human”.

LEADERSHIP Correspondent who was at the scene of the protest said the attendants were pacified to go back to work that the issue would be thoroughly investigated.

Attempt to speak with the Chief Medical Director of the hospital proved abortive as he was reported not to be on seat.

Speaking on the protest, a staff of the hospital Mr Enny O. said the matter just got to his notice and is being addressed to ascertain what actually transpired for necessary action.

LEADERSHIP recalls that similar incident happened few months ago leading to the beating up of some medical personnel by relatives of a patient that died due to alleged negligence by the doctors.