>
Students of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, on Friday, staged a peaceful protest over the death of a final year student of department of foreign languages, Aisha Adesina.
The late Adesina was said to have died at Seventh Day Adventist Hospital, Ile-Ife, where she was referred to by the university’s health centre.
The protesting students accused the university’s health centre of poor handling of Adesina’s case, and delaying in its response when the deceased presented herself for treatment at the health centre.
According to reports by various media platforms, Adesina was an asthmatic patient who had gone to the health centre to complain of a sore throat.
She was reportedly given an anti-malaria medication which the late Adesina’s friends confirmed did not work for the deceased. They noted that the pains persisted for three days before she was rushed back to the health centre on Thursday.
A source who spoke on condition of anonymity over fear of victimisation told Humangle that Adesina could not be attended to because doctors were on strike.
“We were told by officials at the clinic that doctors are on strike and they cannot even refer her to OAU teaching hospital. The best they could do was to refer her to Seventh Day hospital,” the source said.
Also, the public relations officer-elect of OAU students’ union, Ogunperi Taofeek, in a statement issued on Friday, said: “Adesina’s death is not the first to happen due to negligence of duties by the workers at the health centre.
“We call on the University Management to investigate this death and punish all health workers who failed in performing their duties when Aishat needed attendance which they failed to give but only transferred her in her last moments to Seventh Day Hospital where she eventually died.
“Without a proper and quick investigation (one which must actively involve and be communicated to students) and punishment meted, the University Management will be putting the lives of students in danger. We cannot let our lives become toys. We will have to protest this, as we cannot afford to keep losing our lives like fowls.”
Following the death on Friday, the students blocked the university’s main gate in protest.
But reacting, the university in a statement issued by its public relations officer, Abiodun Olarewaju, denied the accusations and appealed to the students to remain calm.
“The management will like to appeal to all students of the University to remain calm and kindly refrain from any act that can jeopardise the peace on campus and truncate the ongoing Rain Semester examinations,” the university’s statement said.
The statement added that the deceased “was promptly treated with some drugs prescribed and asked to report back as an outpatient.”
The statement further said that Adesina reported back to the health centre on Thursday morning, September 30, “but was referred to Seventh Day Adventist Hospital for further management where she regrettably died.”
“The management sympathises with the parents, friends, colleagues and the entire students of the University on this sad loss, and pray for the repose of her soul,” it added.