EMOTIONS
ran high yesterday at the Lekan Ogunsola Memorial Mortuary of the Lagos State
University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Ikeja,Lagos as the relations of the Dana
air crash victims openly displayed anger over what they described as undue
hardship caused by the rigorous process of identification of bodies and delay
in releasing those already identified.
This scenario dominated the scene at the crisis
centre set up for the crash victims even as a total of four identifiable bodies
were slated for release between yesterday and today. The four corpses
whom their relations have indicated their interest to collect include; Temitope
Ariyibi, Obiola Ikpoki, Prof. C. O Onwuliri, and a Chinese, Kang Yi.
Also, more names of identifiable victims
have been released. They include; Onyeka Chukwu Collins, Abraham
Adijolola,Famata Mohammed, Maimuna Anyene, Onyeka Anyene, Naoh Anyene, (Baby)
Sunday Enuma, Ogechi Njoku, Kemisiyop Chukwu Anyene Oluchi Onyeyiri, Amaka
Ojugbara, Christopher Ojugbara, Dr. Elizabeth Omuluzua Akwaeze, Ruth Wasa,
Fortune David Kolawole, Josephine Omara Okechukwu, Ngozi Okechukwu, David
Kolawole and Enyimju Oluwa and three yet to be identified adults.
The strong display of emotions was not
unconnected with the arrival of the Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi
Chukwu, who was inLagosto inspect and monitor the state of the mortuaries and
also access the progress of ongoing DNA autopsy sample collection.
Not even the confirmation by the hospital
authorities that collection of bodies could commence without further delay
could placate the aggrieved family members who engaged hospital staff and other
government officials in a shouting match as they demanded the immediate release
the identifiable bodies that have actually being identified so that they could
give them a befitting burial.
The agitation which gradually degenerated
into an uproar, defied efforts to be nipped in the bud by the Health Minister
and other Lagos State officials which included the Commissioner for
Health, Dr. Jide Idris; the Chief Medical Director of LASUTH, Prof. Wale
Oke, and the Chief Medical Examiner of the hospital, Prof. John Obafunwa.
In their anger, several of the relations
confronted the Health Minister and demanded explanation why he (Minister of
Health) should be coming six days after the unfortunate incident occurred.
“Why is he (Minister) just coming
now? We do not need all these explanations now; all we want is for them
to release the bodies. You people are just politicising the issue,” they
remarked.
Further, the relations queried the
functionality of the counselling centre and also complained about the
non-functional help lines.
A victim’s relations, Mr. Ogbonna Nta
Uwaeme who lost nine people in the ill-fated aircraft crash, demanded the need
for government to ensure sincerity in the various processes.
“We want sincerity and counselling to
further reduce the trauma we are passing through,” he argued.
Another of the victim’s relations, Mr. Uche
Oha, also pointed out the need to make the process less cumbersome by grouping
people in batches and giving appointment dates through the telephone numbers
they have dropped.
Attempts by the Health Minister to explain
the delay behind release of the bodies were however, greeted by another uproar
from the angry relations.
Chukwu who despite the uproar, addressed
the crowd, appealed for patience while assuring that government would ensure
that all their complaints would be duly addressed. He added that, to
quicken the exercise, more pathologists fromIbadan,Abujaand other states are
being drafted to join those inLagos.
Corroborating his views, the Chief Medical
Examiner, Prof. John Obafunwa who explained that about 40 families have been
through the processed DNA analysis, added that 44 autopsies have been carried
out on the charred bodies.
“In the past, it had always been mass
burial for similar incidents but this time around, we want to do things
properly. That is why we need to do proper identification. Besides after
this exercise relatives of some victims will be talking compensation”.
Obafunwa stated that the government was
trying to be careful in order not to release wrong bodies to the
relatives. “If they later realise that the bodies they carry were not
their own it will further worsen their trauma”, he added.
Lending his voice, the State Commissioner
for Health, Dr. Jide Idris however acknowledged their pains and appealed for
calm as the government is determined to do the needful.
But, further explanation by Chukwu and
other state officials fell on deaf ears and apparently to avert further
altercation, the Minister and other officials hurriedly left the scene.
Briefing journalists after the tour of the
crash sites and the two mortuaries where the bodies were deposited, the
Minister of Health noted that the crash site and dumpsite where the debris of
the plane was deposited had been properly fumigated in order to prevent
infectious diseases.
Reaction to the earlier emotional display
by the relations of the victims, he said: “I understand that emotions are very
high it natural and understandable. The way we respond to stress varies.
What is important is to offer counselling to those relatives. There is also the
need to provide physical spiritual need. WhereLagoscannot meet up all their
needs, the Federal Government will come in to support. We are working
together.”
Commending the Lagos State Government on
the mortuary facilities, he said the corpses were well preserved and intact.
Further, he disclosed that a total of 147 bodies are in the custody of
theLagosStategovernment. “Out of which 50 identifiable bodies at LASUTH
mortuary, 97 charred bodies and six body parts are at the Main land Hospital
mortuary”.