FUNAAB students protest colleague’s death, over poor healthcare

Outraged students of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), have staged a protest over the death of Ifeoluwa Ayodele, a 100-level student of Agricultural Economics and Farm Management, who allegedly succumbed to asthma after facing delays in treatment at the university’s medical center.

The protest erupted on Thursday at the campus gate, with students decrying what they termed as “poor healthcare services” that contributed to Ayodele’s untimely demise. According to eyewitness accounts, Ayodele’s treatment was delayed because he lacked an identity card, a claim that has intensified the students’ calls for a restructured healthcare system on campus.

One anonymous student shared, “The staff members’ negligence is irritating. He arrived around 1 p.m.; they delayed him until 6:50 p.m., and he was pronounced dead around 10 p.m. because he did not have his ID card. This is the third such incident in three months due to negligence and poor service.”

The President of the Students’ Union, Meshack Nwankwo, emphasized that the protest was fueled by the broader issue of inadequate medical services. “Most of what we protested against was the poor service of the clinic. We just want a change,” Nwankwo stated.

Vice-Chancellor Olusola Kehinde addressed the protesters, providing a detailed account from the health center staff. He explained that Ayodele was brought in dead, and despite efforts to resuscitate him, it was too late. “His friends got to the health center and saw him gasping for breath. They put a spoon in his mouth and poured water on him. When he arrived at the hospital, there was no pulse, no heartbeat, and his eyes were already dilated. He was dead on arrival.”

The Vice-Chancellor acknowledged the distressing situation and reiterated the university’s commitment to investigating the incident thoroughly. The students, however, remain steadfast in their demand for immediate improvements to the campus healthcare services to prevent future tragedies.