A day after he was stabbed by members of notorious violent group [Kalare boys] in Gombe metropolis, 35-year-old Isma’il Yayalle died after suffering negligence from medical workers in three hospitals in the city.
The deceased, a graduate of Geography from Gombe State University, was returning from a medical trip in Kaduna State. He was with his older brother, Adamu Yayalle when the knife-wielding thugs waylaid a tricycle conveying them home on May 17.
Adamu told WikkiTimes his brother was stabbed in the stomach. The deceased was rushed to the metropolitan General Hospital from where he was referred to Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH).
At FTH, Adamu said his brother was left unattended for several hours.
Yesterday, WikkiTimes visited the bereaved family in Pantami’s residence. It was gathered that the deceased and his brother were attacked around 3pm last Wednesday around Gombe State Government House.
“It was raining heavily that day,” Adamu recalled. “We just returned from Kaduna where I took my brother to see an eye doctor at the Kaduna Eye Center.”
“Keke Napep was riding us back home to Pantami. Suddenly, two men appeared, armed with knives. The Keke driver quickly attempted to dodge them but they stabbed my brother in the stomach,” he added.
RESIDENT DOCTORS’ STRIKE COMPLICATED RESPONSE
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) commenced a five-day warning strike in the early hours of Wednesday following the failure of the Nigerian government to meet its demands. Unfortunately, that was the day the deceased was attacked.
The doctors, among other grievances, were demanding the immediate payment of the 2023 Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF), tangible steps on the “upward review” of the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) and payment of all salary arrears owed its members since 2015.
“We didn’t know doctors were on strike,” Adamu claimed. “We first took him to the General hospital but we were referred to the Federal Teaching Hospital. On arrival, we were admitted because my brother, who is a police officer, had already spoken to the doctor in charge.”
Cuts from stomach stabs were dressed and the deceased underwent several laboratory tests including x-ray. “But they paid no further attention to him until the following morning. The Doctors weren’t even attentive enough to realize that he had cuts in his intestine,” Adamu said.
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“Even after taking out his blood samples, they refused to collect it in the laboratory. They left the sample with us. We had to beg them for several hours even after we paid for the tests before they collected it,” he added.
“The following morning, I still had to go and beg the doctors to come check on my brother but we were ignored, until one doctor came for the morning shift. After checking on my brother, the doctor said if not attended to, my brother could lose his life in two hours.”
Subsequently, Isma’il was attended to by another doctor who insisted that he should be referred back to General Hospital because “there was nothing they could do for him.”
Enraged, Adamu said he demanded that his brother be discharged from FTH despite ”spending” over N20,000. WikkiTimes asked for evidence of payment at the hospital, but Adamu said he could not find them at the moment.
ISMA’IL DIED A DAY AFTER
After battling with life for several hours, Isma’il was taken to Ahajas Memorial Hospital, a private clinic, where doctors confirmed him dead.
The family were told Isma’il suffered five intestine cuts from the stabs.
“They revived him with some liquid and blood infusion but as fate would have it, he passed away hours late,” the grieving Adamu muttered.
Adamu believes his brother’s life was cut short by doctors at the FTH.
“If they had informed us that they were on strike from the beginning, we would have taken him to a private clinic. But instead, they let us waste our money and time,” he lamented.
Adamu told WikkiTimes he would have written a complaint letter to the hospital management but an insider in the hospital had told him some of the letters often go unanswered.
WikkiTimes contacted FTH via a contact provided on its Google address but a responder who spoke to our reporter said he would not speak for the hospital. At press time, an email sent to the hospital had not been responded to.
WIDOWED AT 22 — ZAINAB DEMANDS JUSTICE
Widowed at the age of 22, Zainab Isma’il, a mother of two — Abdulhakeem and Naseer — wept as she spoke to our reporter. She called on the government to do justice to her husband’s death.
Her words: “My husband was one of those people that despised thuggery, he would always remind me to pray for our children so that they can turn out to be good people. I never imagined this would be the end of him.
“I am calling on the government to do the needful and bring an end to these crimes because the lives of people is not something to be taken for granted.”
A close friend of the deceased, Ya’u Mahadi said: “of all his illnesses, we thought one would kill him, but little did we know that the fate of his death lies in the hands of Kalare boys.”
Ya’u recounted how Isma’il had battled with ailments for years before his untimely death.
According to him, his late friend had suffered from Tuberculosis for four years, then subsequently developed Diabetes and heart ailment as well.
“The sickness affected his sight, but he remained the best amongst our circle of friends, he would always enjoin us to do good in our endeavors. He will surely be remembered for his kindness and compassion,” Ya’u said of his late friend.
Sources said the area where the deceased and his brother were waylaid is a hideout for Kalare Boys. WikkiTimes asked Maheed Mu’as, spokesman for Gombe Police Command, but he said the command was not aware of the incident and how dangerous the area has become.
“I will just have to get back to you but I will confirm from the area concerned and equally know if that area is a notorious criminal hideout,” he told our reporter.
