The authorities of the University of Ibadan (UI) yesterday gave a detailed account of the last moments of a 200-Level student, Mayowa Alaran, who died last Thursday.
At a briefing yesterday, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Isaac Adewole, said Alaran slumped while watching a football match and died before he was taken to the university health centre.
He said this belied claims that his death was caused by the inefficiency of the health centre staff.
His death triggered a protest by students, who shut all the gates to the campus and paralysed activities throughout the day.
Adewole said Alaran died before he was taken to the university clinic, Jaja.
He said: “He carried out his normal activities earlier on Wednesday, May 6.
“Very early in the day, he attended the gymnastics practical with other students in his department from 7–9am.
“He later attended the induction programme organised for fresh students in his department.
“He attempted to participate in a football match between his Department of Health Education and Human Kinetics and the Department of Library and Archival Studies (LARIS) in the afternoon, but could not due to the fact that he did not train with the team.
“He, thereafter, returned to the faculty to attend a GES class that held from 4 – 6pm.
“It was from here that he returned to Independence Hall to watch the football match between Barcelona and Bayern Munich in the Junior Common Room (JCR). The match started at 7.45 pm.
“A generator was used to supply electricity to JCR. The generator was placed about 50 meters away from the room.
“Alaran sat in the front row and was facing a non-rotating standing fan.
“Thirty minutes into the match, a student sitting next to him observed that he had slumped and was motionless.
“The concerned student promptly carried him for resuscitation with the assistance of some medical students, who performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
“The concerned student made a call to the University Health Centre requesting for an ambulance.
“After waiting for about 8 -10 minutes, the student arranged for a private vehicle to convey him to the University Health Centre.
“On the way, at Lander Roundabout, the vehicle conveying the student met the ambulance, which was sent to bring him by the nurse-on-duty.
“It should be noted that though, there was only one ambulance on duty that night, the case was promptly attended to with appropriate priority.
“Two patients (staff dependants – one with a ruptured appendix and the other with femoral fracture) who were being taken to a private hospital – Molly Hospital, in the same ambulance, were disembarked to allow the ambulance pick Alaran from Independence Hall.
“At the time of moving him into the University Health Centre, he showed no vital signs.
“The nurse-on-duty promptly attended to him and observed that vital signs were absent and continued resuscitation efforts.
“The doctor-on-call joined in the resuscitation efforts, despite the absence of vital signs and later certified him dead.
“After the certification of the death and in order to manage the growing tension and anxiety among the students, they were asked to go back to his room and look for any available information they could gather.
“This was a diversionary ploy to reduce the already growing population of students around the clinic.”
The institution has disclosed its intention to begin annual health screening for all its students.
The decision was part of the recommendations of the special committee set up to look into the causes of Alaran’s death.
The VC promised to improve effectiveness of the student welfare board and health centre, adding that the university would ensure the establishment of a separate health centre for students.
He also promised to work on how students’ confidence in the health centre would be restored.
Adewole said the university was working with the German government to set up a power generating plant to boost power supply on campus.
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