…alleges negligence, poor health facility

*We tried to salvage situation – Mgt

By Matthew Denis

The National Association of Kwara State Students (NAKSS) at the weekend condemned the management of Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin following the death of Olubode Olalekan, a Higher National Diploma (HND) 1 student of Mathematics and Statistics Department of the institution.

NAKSS said in the statement signed by its President,  Comrade Musa Mohammed Mancha and the National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Salihu Ayatullahi that for the lackadaisical attitude of the management and the ‘pathetic condition’ of the health centre Olalekan may have survived.

The statement said the departed student was left unattended to for hours after being rushed to the school clinic on Friday evening.

NAKSS further claimed that he was later confirmed dead after his transfer to a private hospital outside the campus.

“It is so pathetic that due to the negligence of the Kwara State Polytechnic Health Care Centre, we lost another promising youth.

“Among the responsibilities of the school management is to protect and advance the interests of her students which include the delivery of high-quality health care services which unfortunately we are not enjoying even as students.

“We hereby call on the state government to immediately set up a committee to investigate the sudden death of Olalekan who obviously happened to be a victim of our failed system.

“It is also necessary and as a matter of urgency that a state of emergency should be declared on health care service in our state-owned tertiary institutions.”

Speaking further on the issue in a telephone chat with our reporter last night, the PRO said NAKSS after getting report from its local chapter went ahead to conduct investigation on the issue.

However when contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Mallam Yunus Abdulkadri said the management tried all its best to rescue the unfortunate situation by providing an ambulance and other logistics for Olalekan to be treated at a private hospital off campus.

He said, “The student was rushed to the school clinic early hours of Saturday around 4:00am precisely. When he got there, the medical personnel said he should be taken to the hospital immediately.

“The student did not spend up to five minutes at the school clinic before he was conveyed in the school ambulance to Tolulope hospital at Elekoyangan area, Ilorin where he was confirmed dead,” he said.

According to the PRO, the deceased had been battling with the particular illness before his untimely death.