It was a tough weekend. Uloma had called and asked me to come out for a drink so we can celebrate. I got dressed and drove out to meet her. On my way headed there, I was on the phone with Mavis discussing some strategies when I saw the accident. It was terrible.

There was blood all over, and too many people gathered with no obvious solution in sight. I spotted a wounded woman with three children. She was bleeding from her upper eyelids. She had a deep cut that was going to require stitches. I asked her to get into the vehicle so I could take her to the hospital. The moment she opened the car, one man ran toward the car, bleeding profusely from his head. There was blood everywhere really. So I took a gown in my car to cover the seats so I could make room for him. He looked scary. Just as we were about to move, another man was brought to the car. He couldn’t walk, so some people lifted him into the car.

Everyone had to adjust. A good Samaritan right there gave me 5k to assist with their medicals. I drove to the nearest hospital- Vaden clinic. We got there and I ran in to ask for help. It took the Doctor about 10 minutes to reluctantly get up. He took one look at the man inside the car and asked me to take them to another hospital. He didn’t glance at the children or woman. I asked him why? He said he doesn’t have to give me a reason. He was rude. Unfeeling. Uncouth.

He gave no reason. And made no extra effort to look at the woman whose injury though wasn’t life-threatening, still needed attention. or the children. I gave him a piece of my mind and left with my victims in tow.I went to FMC Owerri. Got into the trauma unit, the doctor I saw was working on another person. He said there was no bed. And that I should take them somewhere else. I asked him to at least attend to the woman and children.

Because they had small abrasions here and there. Nothing serious. He refused and asked me to leave with them because they couldn’t help them. By this time I was wailing. Crying. I was afraid I could lose both men, and what in world was I supposed to do with their corpses. I moved on to Umezuruike hospital. It took an hour before the doctor came after he was called that there was an emergency. He took one look at them and said I should take them somewhere else.

I told them I wasn’t going to do that. And it is their right to be treated. The doctor said I’ll deposit 140k. In addition to a card. I told him I couldn’t possibly pay 140k, but I’ll deposit something to get started. He refused and asked me to leave. A doctor friend had to speak with them and asked me to write an undertaking. I did. And I stipulated that I will take care of some part of their bill until their relatives arrive, or they are stable to do so themselves. I signed the men up to be admitted for further care, and the woman was to be treated as an outpatient.

So I went ahead and deposited 25k, bought 3 cards of 5k each, and also paid for a test for 2500, which all came up to 42500.I left, with a promise to check back in the morning after they wheeled the first person in to stitch him up.An hour later, I got a call from the woman. She said that after I’d left, the doctor asked her to pay for her treatment. The doctor said that since I bought her a card, she should at least pay for her treatment. And the 25k deposit and undertaking I wrote did not cover her.

She didn’t have any money. So she left. Without getting treated. Or her children even cleaned. The purpose of that rescue mission was defeated. Because it was for her and the children that I stopped. I called the doctor, and he went off and hung up on me. I called the NMA chair, and I’ve laid all these complaints. He expressed so much regret over what happened. And apologized but then I don’t think that should be enough.

Every Doctor in this scenario needs to be sanctioned, and their license stripped from them. If not for that I was resilient enough, I would’ve lost these two men. I am calling on the Nigerian Medical Association to step in and investigate this. It is worse than I wrote here.. So much horror. I did not embellish, nor exaggerate the facts. It is much worse. The work of a doctor is to save lives. The oath he took is to save lives. I know hospitals have their policies. But when someone steps in like I did, with full assurance to bear the responsibility of the financial outcome, even went ahead to write an undertaking, I think the hospital should’ve reconsidered and done the needful.

Treating that woman wouldn’t have cost a thing. Or cleaning her kids. The nurses were so much worse. They were hostile. They had me questioning myself. My sanity and everything I believed in. They had me wondering if there was still any humanity left. Their eyes were so hard. And they couldn’t care less about this woman, her kids and the other two. Does poverty erode humanity? I don’t know. I stopped over this morning to take food to my people, and one of them was much better. He works with the Federal Road safety commission. His name is Tarinho Thomas Ungobos. He’s an Assistant 2. He lost his phone and can’t reach anyone.

FRSC or anybody who works there should try and get in touch with me. He’s stable but will need further care. The other one can’t move his neck yet. His upper spine was injured on impact. He’s scheduled for an x-ray this morning, and his relations already arrived. In all, I am thankful to God who made provisions and kept them.

I guess the universe compelled me there for this one purpose; to be a vessel for restoration. Life is precious.Our system is broken, but does it have to stay so?I don’t know. That is up to us.But I think that we are capable of changing things.