At least two patients have reportedly died after alleged rejection by doctors on duty at the Trauma Centre of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) Bauchi.
Family members of the victims, who spoke with newsmen in Bauchi, the state capital, on Wednesday alleged they were rejected on the excuse that there was no bed space, a development that led to their death.
Mr Amos Sunday, a resident of Rafin Zurfi, a community in Bauchi Local Government Area, who is a family member to one of the deceased, told newsmen that the incident leading to the death of his brother occurred on Monday, January 6.
Amos narrated that he took his brother, late Sunday Olaniran, to the centre when he had cardiac arrest but was rejected for lack of space.
According to him: “On our way to Ni’ima Specialist Hospital, he died as he was confirmed ‘brought in dead’ (BID).”
Also, a civil servant, who spoke to newsmen under the condition of anonymity, said an unidentified boy was knocked down by a car at Buzaye village along Bauchi- Jos road.
He said the boy, who was brought to the trauma centre, was not attended to until he died while on the bed he was admitted on.
He explained that when they got to the centre, the doctor on duty told them to go to another facility due to lack of bed space.
According to him: “Because of the critical condition of the boy, we looked around, got a bed, laid him but the doctor yelled at us that he will not attend to the boy because we crossed our boundaries by insisting”.
The middle -aged man civil servant added: “The most annoying thing was that for more than 30 minutes, we begged this doctor to save the life of the boy but he blocked his ears with earpiece of his phone, neglected us until the boy died.”
Following report of series of alleged negligence by doctors on duty at the ATBU Trauma Centre, the management of the teaching hospital has set up an investigative committee to look into the allegations.
The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Hospital, Dr Alkali Mohammed, who confirmed that he received a report that a patient was rejected by the doctor on duty leading to his death, said that the committee was immediately constituted to address it.
Mohammed assured that anyone found culpable will be dealt with in accordance with the code of conduct of the medical profession.
However, he admitted that the centre is no longer big enough to contain the flow of patients on a daily basis.
He further disclosed that efforts are on top gear to have another centre that will complement the present one, advising that other hospitals in the state should also expand their trauma and emergency centres.