Daddy, when will doctors
return my leg, cries boy (4), who lost limb in autocrash
By Chioma Okezie- Okeh
Saturday, July 22, 2006
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•Amputee,
Ndubuisi on his sick bed at Igbobi
Photo: Sun News PUblishing |
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Four-year-old Ndubuisi Nwagbata would live to remember, with
great pains, the sorrowful event that took one of his legs.
He was full of life until recently when his childhood joy
was reduced in an auto crash which destroyed his right leg.
Ndubuisi, had left home, at Adepuju Street, Owode\Ibesha
road in Ikorodu in company of his siblings on that day when
a lorry with registration number XQ342AAA, property of G.O.N
LTD, Ketu, driven by Mr. Adebayo Ademola ran over him.
Though he was rushed to the hospital immediately to save life,
the level of accident led to the amputation.
Where is my leg?
Too young to fathom out what actually occurred to him, Ndubuisi
who had passed out during the incident came around to ask
the grim question: What happened to my leg? Up till date,
he is yet to know what exactly had happened to his leg, hence
he continues to ask questions.
Moved to tears, his father, Emmanuel said the boy simply said:
“ Daddy a lorry broke my leg, why not tell the doctor
to repair it fast I want to go to school tomorrow.”
Emmanuel replied that the doctor would do that immediately-
a vein assurance.
When the leg was finally amputated, the curious boy also asked:
“Daddy, where did the doctor take my leg to? Why has
he not returned it yet?” I always reassured him that
he was coming back. I do not know how I would explain to my
son that the leg he thought had been taken for repair could
never be repaired.”
Neglected
Emmanuel’s pain would have been minimal but for the
alleged failure of the company to assist in off setting medical
bill. “ I met my son lying helplessly with a shattered
bone
I reassured him despite the fact that I knew that it would
take a divine intervene for him to walk again. I did all I
could pleading with the doctors to do whatever it takes to
make sure that Ndubuisi would walk again. But after three
days it became clear that to save his life his leg has to
be amputated.”
But the worse part is failure of the company to show human
sympathy. Since this event happened, Ndubuisi has been at
the orthopedic hospital at Yaba pending when an artificial
leg would be made available. I have spent over N400,000:00
Case in court
Disturbed by this development, Emmanuel sought redress in
court. He wants the court to order the company to pay damages.
The case is currently pending at an Ikorodu court.
Worried about the Nigerian court system and multiple adjournment,
he does not want the case to die a natural death.
Though he expressed confidence in the magistrate handling
it, he complained about the expensive nature of the whole
thing. Worse still, he lamented that up till now, neither
the driver nor representatives of the company had come to
sympathise with the family. “They knew that my son till
date is in the hospital yet none of them have been seen they
depend on the law because they have the money.” The
case has been adjourned till August 14.
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