By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The family of an asthmatic patient, Chiagoziem Dike, who died shortly after he was rejected by Federal Staff Hospital, Gwarimpa, Abuja has called for the shutdown of the hospital.

Dike was said to have been rushed to the said hospital after experiencing asthmatic attack but was rejected without being given any attention.

Dike, 37 years old breathed his last on the way to another hospital, Federal Medical Centre, Jabi where he was subsequently pronounced dead.

The family who stormed Federal Staff Hospital to protest the death of their late member, blamed his death on the failure of the staff on duty to attend to him when he was rushed to the hospital for medical attention.

According to the family members, Dike would still have been alive if the hospital had attended to him.

The family members wondered how the hospital’s medical staff who were on duty at the time could not at least check him before sending him away.

According to the protesting family members, the hospital is allegedly notorious for rejecting emergency cases and thereby causing untimely death of innocent patients.

Speaking to journalists, a lady who identified herself as late Dike’s friend said he was rushed to the hospital when he had an asthmatic attack in the early hours of April 25, 2024 only for the medical staff on duty refusing to open the gate.

She alleged that they also stopped the gate men who had shown concern from opening gate.

She told journalists that they had to rush the patient from the hospital after they were denied entry for two hours.

“It was unfortunate that we lost him while trying to rush him to another hospital, Dike could not make it to the next hospital,” he said while further stating that: “I was his friend, I was with him when he had the attack. He was asthmatic. He had this attack last week on the 25 of April at about 4:30 am we drove him to this hospital, two doctors came and refused to open the gate for us.

“The security guard wanted to help us but the doctors shouted and refused to open the gate for us we were there till 6am .

The late Dike’s sister, Onyiyechi who was apparently furious, said “the hospital is a death trap, we have a lot of testimony about this hospital and there negligence we’ve heard a lot about it, people even blamed us after Dike’s death that why did we kill him by bringing him here.”

She called on the hospital’s Chief Medical Director to get to the root of the matter, saying “It is your responsibility to know what happened in your hospital.”

Shouting at the hospital staff, she said: “My brother is 37 years old. Did you know how long he has been struggling? He is my parents only son. We can’t sleep. This incident could’ve been avoided but no, you guys choose to take his life.”

Another family member, Sarah Ameachi, who was among the protesters, narrated her own bitter expereince .

Ameachi said, she was left in her pool of blood in the labour room without any attention.

She said, “They left me in the labour room I was bleeding nobody cared for me there were supposed to be three nurses attending to me unfortunately one left me to bleed after I gave birth I told them that I am going to report them but they retorted that I should thank God I am even alive.

“So after that incident I went back with my son, today it’s my brother turn who they did not touch they did not even look at him. They referred him to Jabi, but at least they could’ve done something or checked what was wrong with him even if you don’t have the equipment.”

The protesting family asked that the hospital be shutdown within the next 72 hours.

Mr. Innocent Echi, an in-law to the late Dike who issued the 72 hours ultimatum said, “what really happened was that on the 25 April my in-law Chiagoziem Dike had an asthmatic attack as at 4 am and he was rushed down to the hospital. He stayed opposite star view meaning that from there to the hospital is one or two minutes drive so the family and friends thought it would be nice to take him to the nearest hospital which is the Federal Staff Hospital, when they brought him they refused to open the gate after so much pressure they opened it and they took him in.

The doctors just looked at him and said they can’t handle the case and ask them to take him to Federal Medical Center, Jabi on reaching there, they told us that he was dead.

“Our anger is that Federal Staff Hospital could’ve given him first aid. He won’t have given up

“We had them on record when they where talking carelessly, I cannot but question whether they graduated from medical college and who issues them license.

” We are demanding justices for Nigeria so far not just him, we are asking the Minister of Health and Minister of FCT and Hospital management board to look into it.

“We intend to write petition to the necessary authorities. This matter need to be investigated and look into, we need justice,” Echi said

He added “We brought him because he couldn’t breathe properly but the hospital failed to attend to him and let our brother die. They referred us to a far hospital and let him die like that”

The Chief Medical Director, Federal Staff Hospital, Gwarimpa, Dr. Adewumi however said he was never aware of all the cases mentioned by the protesters, describing the death of Dike as an unfortunate incident.

He however pleaded with the aggrieved protesters, promising to look into the matter.

He said, ” I am not aware of all these. I understand, I know what you are feeling .

“I am going to find out and get the nurses and doctors involved and get justice for you.

” We are going to investigate please calm down I am sorry for all that has happened I am going to look into it and all that happened that day.