An
autopsy to find out what killed a Youth Corps member at the Kano Orientation
Camp is to be conducted.
The
body is to be exhumed for the autopsy, it was learnt yesterday.
President
Muhammadu Buhari has ordered an independent investigation into the death of
Miss Ifedolapo Oladepo.
Minister
of Youth and Sports Solomon Dalung, whose ministry supervises the National
Youth Service Corps (NYSC), said that the exhumation of Ifedolapo’s body would
assist the authorities to get to the root of her death.
The
late Ifedolapo, 26, graduated with a First Class in Transport Management at the
Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) in Ogbomoso, Oyo State.
She
died on November 29 and her remains were buried in her home town of Ila
Orangun, Osun State, on December 1.
The
NYSC explained that there was no negligence by its officials who handled the
treatment of the 2016 Batch B Youth Corps member, adding that she suffered a
kidney problem, which had been untreated.
But
family members have disputed the claim, following which the President ordered
an independent probe into the matter.
Speaking
with reporters at the State House in Abuja yesterday, Dalung said although
the report given by the NYSC indicated that Ifedolapo’s death was natural, the
autopsy would unravel the cause.
He
said: “In view of the fact that there are many versions of what led to the
death of the NYSC member, it would be fair to look at another version of what
happened to be sure of what actually transpired.
“It
doesn’t have to do with not trusting the process; but gauge the report
alongside other opinion, then, we will be able to tell Nigerians that this is
the circumstance on how she died.
“Don’t
forget that the report of the NYSC has no autopsy and an independent
investigation will require an autopsy and now the autopsy alongside the report
will balance and fortify the conclusion the government will make,” Dalung said.
The
late Ifedolapo’s sister, Mrs Oyeyode Abimbola, a nurse, claimed that she told
her that she was not well attended to.
She
said: “Ifedolapo called me five hours to her death and told me to start coming
to Kano, because the NYSC doctors were not attending to her. They thought she
was pretending in order not to go for morning parade; so they did not attend to
her.
“When
she started calling people from home, they eventually gave her an injection.
Immediately after that, she called me again that she noticed a lot of rashes on
her body and told me to speak with the doctor, who had refused to talk to me.
“She
called five minutes later and told me her tongue was twisting, then
they sent all her friends out after seeing all the reaction on her body after
giving her the unknown injection.”
“I
took a 16-hour journey to ensure I got to her but I was called
around 3am that she gave up.”
The
NYSC’s report stated that: “On examination, the doctors noticed rashes on her
legs, which she claimed started appearing as a result of her using second-hand
knickers without washing.
“The
doctors treated her with Arthemeter 160mg, Piriton tablet and Paracetamol and
released her.
“At
3 am, on November 28, Ifedolapo was brought back to the camp clinic by her
colleagues, with further complaints of vomiting and general body pains. After
further examination, the doctors noticed that the rashes on her legs had
increased, which she still dismissed as reaction to using second-hand knickers.
She was thereafter admitted at the clinic and treated with Drazamol injection
and Piriton to soothe her body pains as she was already on malaria drugs.
“Her
home doctor further affirmed to the CMD at the camp clinic that the line of
treatment given was good and the drugs administered were normal. It was at this
point she complained she had not urinated for sometime. This was the note of
alarm that hastened her referral to Gwarzo General Hospital by 4 pm.”
Describing
allegations of negligence on the part of NYSC as unfounded, NYSC
Director-General Brig. Gen. Sule Kazaure said the Orientation Camp clinic had
31 qualified and registered doctors, 20 pharmacists and 11 nurses.
“There
are no student doctors, as all the doctors are fully certified by the Medical
and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).”
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