Medical doctors at the Federal Medical Centre in Lokoja, Kogi State have been called out by a Facebook user over an alleged carelessness which led to the death of a young boy.

According to one Lawal James, the deceased aged 15 was being hospitalised for appendicitis, however, he gave up the ghost after the doctors were simply pressing their phones

In his words,
We never knew it will lead to death. He complained of stomach pain on Monday 18th June 2018. The pain was so severe that he was taken to MRS in Chari Maigumeri barracks Lokoja where he was referred to FMC Lokoja. From Federal Medical Center, late Raphael James was referred to Honey Gold Clinic for scan. The scanning was done and the result clearly shows that he has Appendicitis(Appendix) which must and should be operated that hour. The doctor confided in Raphael Brother in a telephone conversation that there should be no further delay. On getting back to FMC Lokoja, the result was presented but late Raphael was left by the inexperienced and lackadaisical Doctors to continually scream in pain.

I wonder where FMC got these girls and boys called Doctors. As I stand and watched Raphael rolling on a slim mattress in pain and these so called Doctors walk freely and press their phones with so much careless abandon of a patient whose scan result shows urgency, tears swell on my eyes. They came intermittently to check on late Raphael and keep pressing the area he feels pain asking him how he feels even when it was obvious that the 18 years old boy was in pain. I was furious and almost shout for help but that could further compound the case of Raphael knowing how these young inexperience Doctors behaves, so I walked aside. Everything they asked for was provided, but they delayed the operation to Tuesday at noon. As at that time it seems too late as late Raphael was wheeled from the theater to Intensive Care Unit and on the Night of Thursday, he gave up the ghost.

Raphael is gone and he is gone to meet his creator. But the question is this, where are those experience Medical Doctors in Federal Medical Center lokoja that the life of innocent people are left in the hands of these modern, exuberant and half baked cosmetic Doctors? On that night, most of the Doctors on duty are not up to 28 years of age and non of them can claim to have graduated 5 years back. This is not to say there are no caring and intelligent one among them but it was an unfortunate night that Raphael met these crop of Doctors.

These young Doctors should be attached to experienced consultants or Doctors who has been practicing for over 20 years to learn more before being allowed to handle patients. Sometimes, when they are faced with serious issues, you see them browsing their phones to get solution. This is not suppose to be. Something urgent should be done. It is Raphael today, who knows who next? It’s painful to see a young boy who just finished WAEC to have died while awaiting result. Besides, where is ethics in medicine profession? Is there any at all? If yes, then it is not applied by some of these young surgeons.

A quick overhaul is needed. The pain of loosing someone to death as a result of negligence is severe. James Raphael will be buried on Monday. As a man server in Catholic Church Chari Maigumeri, there will be a Mass wake keep on Sundayi at his residence, Otokiti community Lokoja. He will be finally laid to rest on Monday 25th June 2018. Until his death, he graduated from Army day Secondary school Chari Maigumeri barrack Lokoja. He is a dedicated Christian of the Catholic Church. May the soul of James Raphael and other faithful departed rest in peace.