CHRISTMAS DAY TRAGEDY: Medical Doctor Burnt To Death In Own Hospital In Akure, Ondo State
Tragedy struck at Oke Ibukun Street, off Araromi area, Akure, Ondo State in the early hours of Christmas Day as a medical doctor, Adetayo Oguntuase, was burnt to death in his own clinic. Sources said the incident occurred at about 12:30 am on Thursday [Dec. 25] when neighbours had already retired to bed after the Xmas eve church service.
The late Oguntuase, a consultant pediatrician at Federal Medical Centre (FMC) and Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex (OAUTHC), died at his Specialist Children Clinic after he was trapped in a raging fire that broke out in his private hospital.
It was learnt that no one could determine the immediate cause of the fire. The deceased was found burnt beyond recognition and sympathisers who came to catch a glimpse of the incident wept profusely. Some youths in the vicinity, who had joined others in the failed effort to rescue the victim, described the development as sad, accusing men of the Fire Brigade Service in the state for failing to show up. Amid tears, bereaved nurses at the clinic described the deceased doctor as generous and humble.
One of them said: “We can’t say what exactly caused the tragedy because all of us (nurses) had gone home when it occurred. All we can say is that the doctor came into the hospital and cracked jokes with us about Christmas festivities and later told us to go home and celebrate without an inkling that we would not see him again. “Before we left, he instructed us to lock all the windows and doors, which we did and left only him behind while the rest of us went home. We were even happy that the doctor released us and we won’t have to come to duty on Christmas day. We never knew this would happened. It is very sad.”
One of the Nurses also revealed that no patient was inside the clinic at the time the incident occurred.
She said: “We had discharged all patients and everyone had gone home for Christmas. It was only the doctor that was left behind in the clinic. The incident occurred at midnight and I heard people shouting, ‘Fire! Fire!’ I had to quickly call other residents on the street for rescue. We mobilised and looked for water to pour on the building but all effort proved futile as the gate leading to the clinic was already locked and we had to break it to find our way into the building to save the fire from spreading to other houses on the street. We immediately called fire fighters but they told us there was no vehicle”.
Another resident of the area, Temitope Adelani, said the residents never knew that the doctor was inside the building at the time the fire began, adding that his vehicle was not parked outside the hospital.
Police spokesman in the State, Wole Ogodo, confirmed the incident, adding that investigation had begun into the matter. He said: “A medical doctor was consumed in an inferno inside the clinic and we have commenced our investigation while his corpse has been taken to the morgue for autopsy". Ogodo added that the wife of the late doctor, Wuraola Oguntuase, had come to report the incident at the A-Division Police Station in Akure.
Dr David Adetayo Oguntuase was killed and burnt in his private clinic on Xmas day 25th December 2014. He was the Consultant Pediatrician/Head of Pediatrics, paediatrician at Federal medical centre Owo, Ondo State. His death is related to the ongoing EFCC fraud investigation of the chief medical director, Dr. O. A. Omotosho. He is accused of embezzling 100 million naira meant for staff training and medical equipment.
ReplyDr Oguntauase was acting as CMD prior to appointment of Omotosho. Most people thought Dr Oguntause will be appointed but we all know how Nigerian system of God fatherism works. Dr Omotosho was appointed directly from Abuja with the help of Owo ruling Monarch King DVF Olateru-Olagbegi.
Dr Oguntause problems started when the federal budget allocated for staff training, purchase of CT scans and other medical equipment went missing and EFCC was alerted. The EFCC team came to arrest Dr Omotosho but he escaped through the morgue section of the hospital and jumped over the fence. The administrative manager, Mr Lagundoye and public Relations Officer [PRO], Mr. Yusuf Olarewaju with the rest of the senior management team were not so happy with Dr Oguntause because they believe he was the only senior member of the team that was not in support of their embezzlement depriving the hospital and reduction of salaries paid to junior staffs.
They knew he will spill the beans TO EFCC. On December 15, Lagos State High Court judge Lawal-Akapo issued a bench warrant against the doctor.He ordered the EFCC to produce him on January 26, 2015 to come and take his plea. Dr Omotosho was arrested three days before xmas day. Dr Oguntause was going to take over as acting while Dr Omotosho is suspended from office.
On xmas day 25th Dec 2014,Dr Oguntuase was killed and burnt beyond recongnition in his clinic at Akure .
May his soul rest in perfect peace.