The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole has regretted the death of six senior medical doctors in a fatal motor accident along Kaduna road yesterday while on their way to attend the 56th Annual Conference and General Delegates Meeting of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, in Sokoto.
In a statement issued on Monday by the Director Media and Public Relations in the Ministry, Boade Akinola, the Minister described the sad event as a tragic loss to the NMA community even as he commiserated with the President, National Executive Committee and the entire membership of the association.
As stated by the statement, “Our prayers is that almighty God in his infinite mercy will give the family, friends and the entire members of NMA the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss. To the survivors, our prayers is that they will recover soon and get integrated into their normal daily activities.
“The Federal Ministry of Health is in constant touch with the leadership of the NMA so that the survivors of the accident could get the best healthcare service. I am using this medium thank the leadership of the NMA especially those at the scene of accident in Kaduna who were involved in the evacuation of both the survivors and the deceased.”
Meanwhile, the National Officers’ Committee, NOC, of the NMA has announced the names of the six deceased doctors to include: Dr. Alex Akinyele, who was the Secretary NMA Ekiti, Federal Teaching Hospital, FTH, Ido Ekiti; Dr. Tunde Aladesanmi, General Surgeon, FTH, Ido Ekiti; Dr. O.J. Taiwo, Anatomic Pathologist, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, EKSUTH, Ado-Ekiti.
Others are Dr. Ogunseye J.B who was the NAGGMDP National Secretary, Hospital Management Board, HMB, Ekiti; Dr. Olajide .O, EKSUTH President of the Association of Resident Doctors, ARD; Dr. Atolani Adeniyi, Secretary NAGGMDP, Ekiti State. Also killed in the road mishap was the NMA Ekiti Driver, whose name was given as Mr. Ajibola.
In a statement issued and signed on Monday by the NMA President, Dr. Kayode Obembe and its Secretary General, Dr. Adewunmi Alayaki, the association’s NOC declared one week of mourning for their fallen colleagues and directed all doctor to show solidarity by wearing a Black band on the left arm over white overall.
The statement reads, “As a follow-up to the earlier statement issued by NOC yesterday, it is now confirmed that the Ekiti State delegates for the Annual General Conference/Annual Delegates Meeting (AGC/ADM) currently holding in Sokoto, were involved in a fatal motor accident along Abuja-Kaduna Expressway. Six of our members and the driver have been confirmed dead and these are their names:
“Other members of the delegates who survived the accident are in stable condition and are receiving medical attention under the auspices of the Chairman of the Kaduna State NMA and his team.
“The bereaved families have been contacted and arrangements are in motion to convey the bodies back to Ekiti State.
“NOC has sent its representatives to Kaduna for on the spot assessment and compliment the effort of the Kaduna team.
“While the conference continues, the NOC hereby directs that all doctors should observe one week of mourning from Tuesday 26th to Tuesday 3rd of May, 2016. Every doctor should put on Black band on the left arm over white overall.
“NMA is in contact with the bereaved families and burial arrangements will be communicated in due course.
“May the souls of the departed rest in perfect peace. We pray that the Almighty God gives the bereaved and all our Hippocratic families the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.”
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