Worker dumped by big company after factory accident in Lagos
Isaac, a casual worker, was alleged to have been abandoned by the company and efforts by the family to get financial support from the big company had been abortive.
Dr. Sanusi Ibrahim, the Medical Director of San Hospital and Maternity Home on Falemora Williams Avenue, Oke Adiyan, Ogun State, where he was admitted, told Punch that the victim’s case was critical.
He had been referred to a general hospital. The family, which still had a medical bill of N40,000 to pay, could not raise money to transport him to the general hospital.
The victim’s son, Biodun, said his father’s ordeal started on May 27, 2016, after he was electrocuted while working at the company’s office.
He said, “My father is a casual worker in the company and he has been working for them for about 10 years now. He is on a salary of N30,000 per month.
“The problem started on May 27, 2016, while at work. He was making some electrical repairs when he suffered an electric shock due to a wrong connection.
“But the shock didn’t throw him off the ladder he climbed. He came down by himself and a friend gave him a tin of milk to drink to reduce the effect of the shock.
“He later went to a hospital because his hand was seriously affected and he was given some medication. He went to office three different times to show himself to his boss and appeal for financial support because his health had started deteriorating.”
Biodun said his father did not get any form of support from the company.
He explained that things, however, took a turn for the worse last Thursday while the Iwo, Osun State indigene, was preparing to take his medication.
“He suddenly collapsed while trying to take his drugs. I raised the alarm and got him to a hospital, where he was placed on oxygen for two days,” Biodun added.
Our correspondent was told that a doctor at the San Hospital and Maternity Home, where he was rushed to, later revived him.
Sadly, he had a relapse on Sunday and had since been in a coma.
Biodun said he visited the corporate headquarters of his father’s workplace in Victoria Island on Monday, adding that the Human Resources Manager of the company, one Ms. Nkam, promised to help.
“In my presence she called two of the company’s hospitals to see if my father could be transferred there. The first hospital did not respond.
“But the management of the second hospital said they would need to see my father before they would decide whether to admit him or not.
“She then suggested that we should take him to the general hospital. I told her we needed to pay a medical bill of N40,000, which we were owing the private hospital, but she didn’t do anything,” he added.
Biodun said, “We have been given a letter to move my father today (Wednesday) from the private hospital, but we have no money to pay. Whereas the company still owes my father up to three months salaries.”
But the HR Manager of John Holt, Ms. Nkam claimed that the company had done its best in the case.
She said, “My directors have been on my neck that I should talk to the son. I was the one that suggested that if the private hospital was not treating him well, he should be taken to a general hospital.
“I was of the opinion that he should be moved from the private hospital to our own company hospital. The son was there while I talked to the hospitals on the telephone, and it was when they were not responding well that I said we should move him to a government hospital.
“I spoke to the man’s son today (Wednesday) and asked about his father and he said he was okay. He said the hospital had asked that he should be moved to a government hospital.
“I said we could not just move him from the private hospital to a general hospital because I know what it takes. They won’t attend to him on time and they may even put him in the open and due to the nature of his sickness, we cannot allow him to be left alone just for a second.
“I told him to go to the general hospital and make contact with a nurse or a doctor and tell them the urgency of the case and that they should be ready to receive him once we move him in.
“Till now, he has not called me back. Also, we do not owe his father. What we are doing now is based on humanitarian ground because he didn’t even write any official letter to the company about his sickness.”
The victim’s son, Biodun, said his father’s ordeal started on May 27, 2016, after he was electrocuted while working at the company’s office.
He said, “My father is a casual worker in the company and he has been working for them for about 10 years now. He is on a salary of N30,000 per month.
“The problem started on May 27, 2016, while at work. He was making some electrical repairs when he suffered an electric shock due to a wrong connection.
“But the shock didn’t throw him off the ladder he climbed. He came down by himself and a friend gave him a tin of milk to drink to reduce the effect of the shock.
“He later went to a hospital because his hand was seriously affected and he was given some medication. He went to office three different times to show himself to his boss and appeal for financial support because his health had started deteriorating.”
Biodun said his father did not get any form of support from the company.
He explained that things, however, took a turn for the worse last Thursday while the Iwo, Osun State indigene, was preparing to take his medication.
“He suddenly collapsed while trying to take his drugs. I raised the alarm and got him to a hospital, where he was placed on oxygen for two days,” Biodun added.
Our correspondent was told that a doctor at the San Hospital and Maternity Home, where he was rushed to, later revived him.
Sadly, he had a relapse on Sunday and had since been in a coma.
Biodun said he visited the corporate headquarters of his father’s workplace in Victoria Island on Monday, adding that the Human Resources Manager of the company, one Ms. Nkam, promised to help.
“In my presence she called two of the company’s hospitals to see if my father could be transferred there. The first hospital did not respond.
“But the management of the second hospital said they would need to see my father before they would decide whether to admit him or not.
“She then suggested that we should take him to the general hospital. I told her we needed to pay a medical bill of N40,000, which we were owing the private hospital, but she didn’t do anything,” he added.
Biodun said, “We have been given a letter to move my father today (Wednesday) from the private hospital, but we have no money to pay. Whereas the company still owes my father up to three months salaries.”
But the HR Manager of John Holt, Ms. Nkam claimed that the company had done its best in the case.
She said, “My directors have been on my neck that I should talk to the son. I was the one that suggested that if the private hospital was not treating him well, he should be taken to a general hospital.
“I was of the opinion that he should be moved from the private hospital to our own company hospital. The son was there while I talked to the hospitals on the telephone, and it was when they were not responding well that I said we should move him to a government hospital.
“I spoke to the man’s son today (Wednesday) and asked about his father and he said he was okay. He said the hospital had asked that he should be moved to a government hospital.
“I said we could not just move him from the private hospital to a general hospital because I know what it takes. They won’t attend to him on time and they may even put him in the open and due to the nature of his sickness, we cannot allow him to be left alone just for a second.
“I told him to go to the general hospital and make contact with a nurse or a doctor and tell them the urgency of the case and that they should be ready to receive him once we move him in.
“Till now, he has not called me back. Also, we do not owe his father. What we are doing now is based on humanitarian ground because he didn’t even write any official letter to the company about his sickness.”
- The plight of the ordinary man in our country is always a long story.
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