Retiree, four grandchildren die of alleged food poisoning in Akure, family blames UNIMEDTH for negligence

Tragedy struck in Akure, as a retired Administrative Officer of the Federal Government Girls College Akure, Mrs. Esther Adeola, and her four grandchildren, aged nine, eight, and six, have died from suspected food poisoning.

According to reports, the family consumed pap, after which they developed severe stomach aches. The incident took a devastating turn when they were taken to the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital (UNIMEDTH) in Akure, where their condition worsened.

The children’s father, Mr. Ademola Adeola, expressed disappointment with the hospital’s response and care. He accused the medical staff of negligence, stating that the doctors failed to provide timely and adequate treatment, which could have saved their lives. Additionally, he criticized the hospital for mishandling one of his children’s corpses.

This unfortunate incident comes just two months after UNIMEDTH was implicated in another case of alleged negligence that resulted in the death of Mr. Adedotun Adebobola, a student from the Federal University Oye (FUOYE) in Ekiti State. The hospital’s management has yet to respond publicly to the latest allegations.

Adeola said: “The pap the children ate was poisoned, and I had rushed them down to UNIMED in Akure. The doctor on duty questioned whether I was certain they were poisoned and advised me to take them home and give them red oil. Since I knew little about health issues, I followed his advice. Around 6-7 pm that Saturday, the children began vomiting even more severely. We took them to Mother and Child Hospital, where they were attended to; but on the second day, we were told that they would be referred to the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, in Owo. Arrangements were made, but the staff later decided that one of the children, Ireoluwa, wouldn’t survive the journey to Owo. So, they referred us back to UNIMED in Akure.”

Adeola explained that at UNIMED, the doctor, who initially attended to the children, did his best but later handed them over to another doctor, who administered an injection that caused an adverse reaction.

He said: “After the injection, one of my children said he felt something entering his body but didn’t know where it was going. Immediately, they all started reacting abnormally. The doctor said it was just a normal reaction to the injection, but soon after, Inioluwa could no longer control himself.

The bereaved recounted that the doctor tied one of the children to the bed with a bandage, adding that he believed that the injection was responsible for their deaths.

“I also noticed that the second doctor kept checking his phone during treatment. Unlike the first doctor who stayed with the children and monitored them closely, the second doctor would only come out when called in for emergencies, and I overheard him complaining on the phone that he didn’t know what to do next.”

Appealing to the state government to set up an investigative panel to uncover the cause of deaths, the bereaved man said: “We are appealing to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to investigate this case. The hospital’s management treated us like nobodies, and we need answers.” Meanwhile, the state’s Health Commissioner, Dr Banji Ajaka, denied the allegations that the victims died out of negligence, insisting that the doctors and consultants did their best to save the victims.

Ajaka said: “I was with them at the hospital. There were four consultants and other doctors trying to save the lives of the children but unfortunately, they died. So, it is not true that the hospital lacks the facility to tackle such a case. It was not the fault of the doctors. Unfortunately, this happened.”

On its part, the management of UNIMEDTH also denied allegations of negligence, arguing that all necessary medical interventions were carried out swiftly and professionally in the treatment of the children.

The hospital’s spokesperson, Roseline Akeredolu, in a statement, said: “The children were brought to the hospital’s Children’s Emergency Unit on September 29, 2024, after being referred from Mother & Child Hospital, Akure. The children showed symptoms believed to be caused by the ingestion of pap containing an ‘unknown poison’. Their grandmother had also passed away days earlier after consuming the same meal.

Upon their arrival, they were immediately received and attended to by our medical team, which included consultants alerted by the referring hospital. Urgent resuscitation and critical care measures were initiated, and all necessary medical interventions—including resuscitation, toxicology testing, and hourly monitoring—were implemented in line with global best practices. Despite the efforts, the hospital disclosed that the children could not be saved.”