UNICAL suspends 4 officials over student’s death

The University of Calabar (UNICAL) has suspended four staff of the institution’s medical centre over the death of a student, Precious Agindi.

Agindi was a third year student of the institution at the department of Library and Information Science.

Agindi died at the UNICAL medical centre on January 28

Speaking to newsmen after the autopsy report on Tuesday, the UNICAL Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Florence Obi, said the staff were placed on suspension for showing lack of “emotional commitment” to the deceased.

Obi said the autopsy gave a detailed cause of death of the student who was brought to the medical centre in a very critical state where she died less than an hour later.

“For emphasis, let me categorically state that the death of Ms Precious Agindi had nothing to do with the rumoured ruptured appendicitis as her appendix was found at autopsy to be healthy, not inflamed and intact.

“This regrettable incident sparked very strong emotions, students’ demonstrations on that fateful day, and a lot of misinformation and outright falsehood peddled by ill-informed and mischievous people, both within and outside the campus.

“Regrettably, the lies that have been deposited in the public space, conscientiously or unconsciously, as amplified by social media, have had a damaging impact on the reputation and image of our university that my administration is working very hard to protect.

“Management chose not to join issues with peddlers of falsehood at a time of deep sadness and sober reflection.

“These persons without cause hastily blamed the death on the medical centre and by extension the university,” she said.

The Vice-Chancellor noted that the university strongly investigated the handling of the patient at the facility by constituting a panel of inquiry as well as carrying out a coroner’s inquest to determine the cause of her death.

“This, we are sure will serve a great purpose in the future, for understanding the causes of things is one of the callings of the university.

“As I addressed protesting students on campus that fateful day, this much I promised we would do.

“In fulfillment of this, with the full approval of the family of the deceased, we ordered an autopsy which was carried out by one of the foremost Nigerian Forensic Pathologists.

“We are thankful to God that our late student was peacefully laid to rest on February 11, 2023, in her hometown, Gbe Nanav in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State.

“Yesterday, in the presence of the representatives of the family, the Benue and Tiv community in the university, SUG officials, members of the Panel of Inquiry, management received the autopsy and the panel of inquiry reports,” Obi added.

She said the late student never went to the university medical centre but was only taken there by her friends in a very critical medical condition the day she died.

“Please note that Ms Precious had received treatment from other private clinics in town from the scan result and other medications presented to the nurses on duty when she was brought in.

“The panel of inquiry made up of experienced medical consultants and doctors absolved the nurses on duty of any professional negligence but saw elements of lack of emotional commitment as medical professionals.

“While life and death are both in God’s hands, management of the university strongly believes that it is our responsibility to do our best at our respective duty posts to offer the service of care both professionally and emotionally considering our quest for excellence as an academic institution.

“It is on this note that management feels that medical personnel in our medical center must give not just professional services but emotional and psychological services which are more soothing especially when one is on a sick bed,” the VC said.

Obi noted that the problem of commitment to work in UNICAL was a pillar that the institution gives great value to all its sections, including the medical centre.

“Management has, therefore, decided to place all the staff on duty on a three-month suspension for lack of empathy and psychological support and especially for demanding for money for card against the medical centre policy of attending to patients in critical condition first.

“The above investigation has revealed that the patient was brought to the medical centre critically ill and her eventual death shortly after arrival was not as a result of professional negligence by staff of the medical centre.

“Also, there is an established clinical condition as cause of death which in deferment to the family and in respect to the dead we do not wish to reveal.

“Yet all sorts of lies have been told both online and offline to batter the image of the university and instigate unrest among the students,” she said.

The Star

Segun Ojo