Surgical Error: Oyo NUJ Blasts NMA For Attacking Ayefele, Fresh Fm

The Oyo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has criticised the chairman of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in the state, Dr Wale Lasisi, for his tirade against ace musician, broadcaster and the owner of Fresh 105.9FM, Ibadan, Mr Yinka Ayefele.

Lasisi had in a statement last week attacked Ayefele for airing on a chit chat programme he co-anchors with another broadcaster, ‘Let’s Talk About It,’ the case of a woman who went through a caesarian section. The doctor who undertook the surgery forgot a sanitary pad in her stomach thereby causing her serious ill-health for two years.

The woman was said to be currently in need of urgent medical attention but did not get such from the private hospital in Ibadan, which committed the surgical error.

Frustrated by the attitude of the hospital, the husband was said to have taken the matter to Ayefele’s programme for the attention of the public, but all efforts made by a team of Fresh FM reporters to get the hospital to react or do the needful were unfruitful. Consequently, Ayefele aired the story.

But Lasisi described Ayefele as a quack broadcaster, saying he and Fresh 105.9FM have no right to air the issue or seek clarification. He insisted that the case should have been reported to the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).

The NMA chairman also demanded a public apology from Ayefele and Fresh FM, failure of which he would seek litigation against both parties.

Reacting, the Oyo State Council of NUJ blasted the medical practitioner, saying he was displaying arrogance at the expense of human life, adding that his arrogance made the case degenerate to this level by refusing to call on the said doctor and hospital to cooperate in ways that can bring an amicable solution which Ayefele earlier sought.

The NUJ statement, which was signed by its chairman and secretary, Comrades Ademola Babalola and Sola Oladapo respectively, described the statement by the NMA chairman as volte-face and misguided.

“The NMA chairman, in a reckless statement signed by him, riled against the media discussion of an act of criminal negligence by a doctor who carried out a caesarian section on a woman and left a sanitary pad in the woman’s tummy before sealing her up.

“The patient developed serious complications after the act of negligence and is currently in dire need of urgent medical intervention to save her life.

“After the hospital refused to address the complication arising therefrom, the spouse of the patient visited Fresh FM to lay the matter at the public court through the media.

“As a trained media proprietor, Dr Ayefele dispatched a team of reporter and videographers to investigate the matter and the station, even tried to explore the possibility of resolving the matter without bringing it to the public.

“While the patient and her spouse gave their account of the incident, the hospital (name withheld) blatantly refused to speak or clarify its position.

“Left with no option but to go public, the matter was discussed on Let’s Talk About It, a popular quasi-Ombudsman chit chat programme on Fresh FM with Ayefele and Enitan Olusegun Bamidele as co-anchors.

“One of those who called into the programme from the United Kingdom was heard chiding Ayefele for shielding the identity of the hospital, saying unsuspecting members of the public might fall victim like the patient should the radio station not disclose the identity of the hospital.

“Ayefele, it will be recalled, mentioned on the programme that NMA chairman told him the association had waded into the matter for peaceful resolution.

“While the NUJ commends Dr Ayefele for going the extra mile to verify the story and ensure report therefrom does not stand on one leg, we find it irresponsible that Dr Lasisi could issue such a statement to berate the media entrepreneur for doing a thorough professional public service.

“While we at NUJ believe the most brilliant and professional doctors can make mistakes in the discharge of their duties, the crass arrogance displayed by the NMA chairman, reprehensible as it is, should alert members of the public to shine their eyes before going to hospitals like the one involved in this irresponsible act.

“We affirm that the doctor who operated on the woman has broken their Hippocratic Oath where they swore to exercise the several parts of their profession to the best of their knowledge and ability for the good, safety and welfare of all persons committing themselves to their care and attention.

“If, in the words of immortal Shakespeare, the evil that men do lives after them, we in Oyo NUJ believe the evil that doctors do to their patients must not be allowed to die with the patients as it is usually the normal practice.

“In the instant case, we urge the state government to raise a committee to investigate the matter and sanction any erring party with a view to forestall a recurrence.

“We also urge government to weed the health sector of quacks masquerading as professionals and endangering the lives of innocent citizens and residents.

“As a union, we call upon all media organisations, print and electronic as well as online to further dig into the story to unearth further truth and perhaps other similar stories about the hospital,” the statement read in part.

© 2023 Newspeak & Associates