BY ONOJEGHWO JESSICA
Medical negligence occurs whenever a doctor’s action or inaction falls below the standard of care. Medical negligence is a serious issue that can occur in any healthcare institutions, including universities. When students enroll in university, they expect to receive quality education and a safe environment to study. However, what happens when a student has an accident or becomes ill while at the university? Who is responsible for the medical care of such student? Here, the school health centre is the first point of call and if the situation is above their control, the student should to be referred to any other clinic outside the school. If this is not done and the otherwise occurs, then the university could be held liable for medical negligence.
Generally, medical negligence occurs when a person or organization fails to provide the standard of care that is expected in a given situation. In the case of universities, they must provide reasonable care for the health and safety of students. Any university that fails to meet this standard of care, such university will be held liable for medical negligence.
Examples of medical negligence in universities include: failure to provide appropriate medical care for a student who becomes ill or injured while on campus; failure to administer medication as prescribed by a doctor; failure to refer a student whose condition is too difficult for them to handle.
Furthermore, when a university is found liable for medical negligence, they may be required to pay damages to the injured person or in some cases, the bereaved families. These damages range from compensation for medical expenses, pain, suffering etc.
There have been several reported cases of medical negligence in Nigeria universities. This can include failure to provide appropriate medical care, misdiagnosis or delay diagnosis, and medication errors.
Below are some of the cases where medical negligence has cost the life of students in Nigerian universities. The first that I will mention was dated, august 13th, 2022. The news headline reported as follows: “Law student, Nnenna Amadi dies at Nigerian law school campus allegedly due to medical negligence.” It was stated that a student of the Nigerian law school Nnenna Amadi, kicked the bucket in campus. It was reported that her death was due to alleged negligence from the school’s medical center. It was gathered that the deceased had a severe asthmatic attack on Thursday, August 11 and was rushed to the school’s medical center.
Some students who want to remain anonymous alleged that the law school clinic had only one nurse on duty and, instead of giving Nnenna oxygen, she was given an injection because the medical centre do not have oxygen facility. It was when the issue had gotten out of control that she was rushed to another hospital where she was confirmed dead on arrival. Sources claimed that she kept saying “I can’t breathe” before she died.
Another case of medical negligence in a Nigerian university occurred on the 24 of May, 2023. The report was captioned: “BIU reacts as student slumps during football match, dies due to poor handling”. The management of Benson Idahosa University (BIU), Benin City, has reacted to the news of the death of a final year student, Bruno Chigozie who, according to reliable source slumped during a football match in the school. It was gathered that some of Bruno’s colleagues who shared the news of his death online, alleged that he was left unattended to for hours at the school medical center. Efforts to take him to clinic outside the school were delayed due to lack of fuel in the ambulance, and when they finally got fuel, the school’s security allegedly demanded for an official exit permit before they will be allowed to leave the school premises. Unfortunately, Bruno lost his life before the permit could be granted by the school authority.
The most recent case of medical negligence in Nigeria universities was the one which took place on the 19th of June 2023 at Delta State University, Abraka. According to the student populace, Ayaemene Eugene a 300 level student of the department of Fine & Applied Arts was taken to the school’s health center for treatment and while he was there, he was not properly attended to. His colleagues then suggested that he should be taken out of the school for further medical treatment but the school ambulance had no fuel in it. And after much delay, he gave up the ghost.
The cases above are only but a few of the many cases of students either losing their lives or having serious health issues because of the negligence of the medical centers. It is a pain in the heart how prevalent this issue is becoming and what hurts the most is how these universities always attempt to cover up their negligence. More worrisome is the fact that none of these institutions have been made to pay for their negligence. The lives of Nigerian students in tertiary our universities are now taken for granted and this is becoming one of the current issues Nigeria is facing today.
It is important for students to be aware of the policies and procedures in place at their university regarding medical care and emergency response. If a student is injured or becomes ill while on campus, they should document the incident and seek medical attention as soon as possible.
All universities have a duty to provide reasonable care for the health and safety of their students. When they fail to meet this responsibility, they should be held liable for medical negligence. Parents should also consult with a legal counsel to determine whether or not the university may be held liable for medical negligence in case of such incidents.
Written by ONOJEGHWO JESSICA
LAW STUDENT Delta State University, Oleh Campus.
