The Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (NAU) in Awka, Anambra State, has suspended for initial three months all doctors, nurses and security personnel on duty at the institution’s clinic when a 100-level law student, who later died, was rushed into the facility.
The Acting Vice-Chancellor of the university, Carol Arinze-Umobi, announced this in a statement on Friday night.
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NAU is popularly known as UNIZIK.
Death of the student
On 4 July, the law student, Isabella Ajana, died under controversial circumstances.
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The circumstances surrounding her began on 27 June when Ms Ajana, a type 1 diabetic patient, and her roommates mistakenly left their key inside their room and were locked out.
She and her roommates were staying at Elmada Hostel which is near the university.
They made unsuccessful efforts to obtain a spare key from hostel authorities.
On the night of 29 June, Ms Ajana’s health became critical as her essential insulin and medication were inside the locked room.
The custodian of the spare key was said to have been unavailable until 30 June.
When Ms Ajana’s health worsened, she was rushed to the university’s medical centre.
After a reported delay at the medical centre, the law student, on 30 June, was moved to the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital where she finally died a few days later.
Last month, the university set up a panel to investigate allegations of complicity and negligence against the hostel supervisor and the officials of the institution’s clinic.
Panel report
Mrs Arinze-Umobi, a professor, said in the statement that her decision to suspend the university officials was based on the report of the panel set up to investigate the circumstances surrounding the student’s death.
“Arising from the report of the panel, I hereby suspend the doctors, nurses and the security personnel on duty at the university’s medical centre on the day the student was rushed there, for three-months in the first instance, during which all investigations would have been completed,” she said.
The acting vice-chancellor said the university has demanded the management of the Elmada Hostel “to sack the supervisor on duty who was in custody of the spare key and could not return it after repeated calls on her.”
“UNIZIK will re-evaluate (its) relationship with the Elmada Hostel, demanding international best practices in students’ accommodation facilities,” she stated.
Condolences
Mrs Arinze-Umobi commiserated with the family and friends of Ms Ajana and assured that the university “will do everything possible to prevent such incidents” in the future.
She assured Nigerians, including staffers and students of the university, that the institution was committed to upholding the highest standard of care and safety for everyone in the institution.
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