Sh*ck In Health Sector As Kwara Loses Three Medical Staff In Accident

Three members of the Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria, Ekiti Local Government branch in Kwara State, have been confirmed dead following a lone road accident along the Oke-Onigbin–Omu-Aran highway.

According to Ireporter Online, the fatal crash occurred around 3pm on Thursday when a commercial Mazda bus, with registration number ARP627KY, conveying the health workers back from the Workers’ Day celebration in Ilorin, lost control and crashed.

Authorities reported that seven persons were onboard the vehicle, comprising three males and four females. Three of the female occupants died on the spot, while others sustained varying degrees of injuries.

The Kwara State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Kabir Kazeem, attributed the accident to excessive speed. He explained that preliminary investigations revealed that a tyre burst while the vehicle was travelling at high speed, causing the driver to lose control.

He stated that emergency response teams were immediately deployed to the scene, adding that the injured victims and the remains of the deceased were evacuated to a hospital in Omu-Aran for medical attention and further procedures.

The FRSC commander cautioned motorists against speeding and stressed the importance of routine vehicle maintenance, particularly tyre checks, before embarking on journeys. He also urged passengers to alert drivers when reckless driving is observed, noting that such actions could help prevent avoidable fatalities.

Reacting to the incident, the Chairman of Ekiti Local Government Area, Awelewa Gabriel, described the deaths as a devastating loss to the council and the health sector, noting that the deceased were committed professionals who lost their lives while returning from a national assignment.

Similarly, the Executive Secretary of the Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Prof. Nusirat Elelu, expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, describing it as a painful setback to the state’s health workforce. She revealed that the deceased had been actively involved in the ongoing polio immunisation campaign across the state.

She further confirmed that the injured victims are currently receiving treatment, while efforts are underway to support the bereaved families and assist the recovery of those affected.

The incident has plunged the Medical and Health Workers’ Union, Ekiti Local Government Area, and the wider health community in Kwara State into mourning.