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Unpaid Kogi Doctor Dies, Another Collapse During Ward Round
By adminJun 18, 2018, 00:00 am
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The sad tales from Kogi State civil service seems unending with the death of a medical doctor on the employ of the state government, Dr. Rosemary Richard-Chukwudubu.
Dr. Rosemary died on Monday after a brief illness.
Until her demise, she was Head of Internal Medicine Department at Kogi State Specialist Hospital, Lokoja.
Like her colleagues in Kogi State, she battled illness while coping with financial encumbrances.
There was confusion as another doctor, Idris Nuhu, three nurses and an attendant in the maternity ward slumped on hearing about Rosemary’s death. One of the nurses, a matron, was in critical condition while the others were receiving medical attention.
The other staff who assisted in resuscitating the deceased doctor, said due to lack of an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and spanner to open the oxygen cylinder, their effort was in vain, adding there was no oxygen head and Adrenalin.
They added that tests like H-Pylori could not be done for the patient, because the deceased had no money, as she did not receive her March salary when others were paid.
A doctor colleague, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the late Doctor has been lamenting about unpaid salaries before the unfortunate incident. He told us that Dr. Rosemary had to cope with lack of funds to manage her health situations as her name was omitted in the March 2018 salary payment that was paid few days ago.
“As you know, doctors and other civil servants in Kogi state have been working on credit. Dr. Rosemary Chukwudubu had problems getting her drugs due to non-payment of salaries here.
“On the same day (Monday), a male Doctor, Dr. Idris Nuhu, whose name was also omitted in the March pay roll, collapsed during his ward rounds. Four other nurses have been hospitalized in the hospital and are currently receiving treatment for various ailments. Some are even in the intensive care unit (ICU).
“She died as a result of lack of money to buy her drugs as she was not paid March salary when others were paid last Thursday and for somebody who has not been paid since February and have been missing her drugs, it will not be difficult to understand the complications that set in at night.
“No doubt, these are sad moments for Kogi medical workers as our welfare have been perpetually neglected. Health workers that caters for the populace deserve to be well catered for otherwise we will record some unpalatable occurrences in the health sector of the state. A hungry doctor is a dangerous doctor,” he said.
Secretary, Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) at the hospital, Dr. Moses Adaudi, who confirmed the incident, said Rosemary’s death resulted from lack of ICU it the hospital where she could have been treated when she developed complications. He urged the state government to make the welfare of civil servants a priority.
When contacted, the Chief Medical Director (CMD), Dr. Ehalaye, confirmed the incident but said the management was on top of the situation.
