There was pandemonium in Ile-Ife, Osun state, Friday morning over the death of a final year student of Obafemi Awolowo Universityi, Adeshina Aishat.
The deceased, who was a in the department of Foreign Languages, died at the Seventh Day Adventist Hospital, Ile-Ife, where she was allegedly referred to, by the health care unit of the university.
Students of the university barricaded the town in protest, blaming the death of their colleague on the negligence of the health care unit of their campus.
The Public Relations Officer-elect of the students’ union, Ogunperi Taofeek Olalekan, urged the university management to investigate the matter and sanction the health officers involved.
He said, “Adesina Aishat, a 400-level student at the Department of Foreign Languages, just joined the list of many students who have lost their lives due to ‘negligence’ at the Health Centre of the University. It saddens our heart that a member of our union has to be returned home as a corpse when her family expects her to be a graduate with prospects.
“But while we mourn Aishat, we cannot lose sight of the circumstances that led to her death, especially the role of the University Health Centre. Aishat’s death is not the first to happen due to negligence of duties by the workers at the Health Centre. It is only one out of many.
“As we await the University’s reactions and actions to this sad occurrence, we urge all union members to see this incident not as a loss to the family of Aishat, her class, department or faculty, but as a loss to all students of the University. We solicit your support as we demand justice to be done in memory of Aishat and many others like her. Our lives matter!”
The management of the institution sympathised with the relatives of the student, but warned the students against taking action that might jeopardise the peace of the institution.
A statement by the Public Relations Officer of the university, Abiodun Olarewaju, explained that the student reported to the Health Centre on Tuesday, 28th September, 2021 with signs and symptoms of a severe infection and she was promptly treated with some drugs prescribed and asked to report back as an outpatient.
“Miss Adesina reported back to the Health Centre in the morning of Thursday, 30th September, 2021. Upon examination, she was referred to the Seventh Day Adventist Hospital for further management where she regrettably died.”
