National Youth Corps Service Members Die In Kano, Zamfara From Medical Neglect

A female member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Ifedolapo Oladepo, reportedly died in an NYSC orientation camp in Kano State due to

negligence, SaharaReporters has learned.

Ms. Oladepo, one of thousands of graduates mobilized for the 2016 Batch ‘C’ service year, was buried yesterday in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State, amid tears and recriminations from her loved ones.

A relative of the deceased told our correspondent that 26-year-old Ifedolapo Oladepo, who earned a first class degree in Transport Management from the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, had left for Kano a week ago after bidding farewell to her family. “She left with high expectations. However, exactly a week after, it was her corpse that was brought back to our family after she died following complications from an ailment a few days into the NYSC orientation program in Kano,” said a relative.

The source added that Ms. Oladepo’s family members believe she could have been saved had NYSC authorities at the orientation camp in Kano given her the right kind of attention.

In a Facebook post, a sister to the deceased corps member wrote, “You called me five hours to [your] death and told me to start coming as the NYSC doctors [were] not doing any [thing] for you. They thought you were pretending [and that you] did not want to go for parade, so they did not attend to [you]. When you started calling people from home they eventually gave [you] an injection. Immediately after the injection [you] called me again [to say] that you noticed a lot of rashes on [your] body [and] that I should speak with the doctor who refused to talk to me. You called five minutes later and told me your tongue [was] twisting. They sent all your friends out after seeing all the reaction on your body after [they gave you] the unknown injection. [You requested that] we should ask for flight and I called immediately. They told me Abuja flight [was] Monday, Wednesday & Friday. I told you to tell anybody in the clinic that [I] am a nurse [and that] they should allow me to speak to them. A male nurse took [the] phone from you and told me you [were] having anaphylactic reaction and they [would] watch you for just one hour and transfer you to Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, but alas they did not transfer you until five hours later when they noticed you [were] restless and calling people at home.”

The Facebook post indicated that her sister then boarded a bus for Kano, adding that she urged NYSC authorities to transfer the sick corps member to a teaching hospital. Instead, the NYSC took Ms. Oladepo to the General Hospital located in Gwarzo. The post also said Ms. Oladepo’s phone was taken away from her on the excuse that she was not resting. “From that 5 p.m. I could not talk to you. I took a 16-hour journey to make sure I got to you, but I was called around 3 a.m. that you gave up without any doctor in the hospital to assist you. The only nurse on duty told me she tried her best, her best of staying beside you when death was taking you away…From that 3 a.m. till I got to Kano I was hoping it [would] only be a mix-up somewhere…I got to Kano and met you at Aminu Kano mortuary. Alas, it was you being put in that cold place.”

A source within the family told SaharaReporters that Ms. Oladepo’s family was accusing the NYSC of “cutting their daughter’s destiny short due to negligence."

In a related development, Monday Asuquo Ukeme, a first class graduate of Petroleum Engineering from the University of Uyo, died yesterday at the NYSC camp in Zamfara State after complaining about a bout of diarrhea.

According to Victor Jerry Emah, a friend of the deceased, Mr. Ukeme never wanted to go for service in Zamfara State, adding that the deceased was destabilized the moment he received his call-up letter. SaharaReporters learned that the late Ukeme was a brilliant student who won four scholarships as a student.