PRESS STATEMENT

The attention of the Management of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Yola has been drawn to a report published by the online news medium Sahara Reporters on the 14th of August 2021, with the title “REVEALED: How National Youth Service Doctors Attended To Late Northern Elder Statesman Ahmed Joda Due To Resident Doctors Strike.” The story claimed that the late elder statesman was attended by “doctors from the National Youth Service Corps and a few consultants” while on admission at the FMC Yola and that “he died after a surgical operation.” Although Management recognises the ethical constraints in discussing the details of the care of an individual patient in the open without due authorisation, and the fact that the said news medium does not enjoy a reputation for the highest ethical standards in the minds of many Nigerians, it still felt the need to issue this clarification since a lot of well-meaning Nigerians may be concerned by the claims made in the report.
Management wishes to state that the late elder statesman had received the best care that could be offered in the country. Specifically, he was not attended by any NYSC doctor at any time during his stay in the hospital. He was admitted into the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital upon arrival until his death and NYSC doctors do not work in the ICU whether at normal times or during a workers strike. The physician component of Alhaji Joda’s care was provided by a team of three consultants comprising of a consultant intensivist and two consultant physicians with specialisation in endocrinology and infectious diseases respectively. The inputs of additional clinical consultants like medical microbiologist, nephrologist and haematologist were also sought and utilised during his care. Because of the on-going resident doctors strike, the consultant intensivist in the ICU handled all the aspects of care that are normally delegated to resident doctors which necessitated his extended stay in the ICU on each day throughout Alhaji Joda’s admission. Other staff who participated in his care were the specialised nurses in the ICU and elsewhere who have all given their best during his admission.
Management also wishes to state categorically that Alhaji Joda did not undergo any surgical operation during his admission. A senior surgeon was consulted over an aspect of his care but that aspect did not require operative treatment. It is instructive that Sahara Reporters’ story did not even get the date of his admission into the hospital right which is an indication of how little effort the medium has put into getting the facts of Alhaji Joda’s treatment right. The public is hereby advised to disregard the story which is at best a reflection of poor journalistic standards and at worst, mischievous.
Signed: Management