Lagos -The national camp of athletes preparing for the forthcoming 11th All Africa Games was in mourning mood on Monday following the loss of a nurse attached to the camp in Lagos.
A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) who visited the camp at the Brai Ayonote Boxing Complex, inside the National Stadium, Lagos, saw the athletes and officials wearing mournful looks, discussing the incident.
The nurse (names withheld), a staff with the National Institute of Sports (NISports), was said to have slumped and died at the institute located within the stadium on Thursday.
A source told NAN: “She was attending to a female athlete, but she had to get some drugs for the athlete, she left the camp to get drugs at the Nisports hostel located within the stadium.
“She was taken there by a car, though the location is few metres away.
“The driver waited in the car for her, but having waited for more than 15 minutes for her, the driver decided to check her.
“There was no light at the hostel on Thursday night the day of the incident, so the driver used his phone light and saw her lying on the staircase.
“The doctor confirmed her dead on examination.’’
Tayo Oreweme, the National Sports Commission (NSC) Liaison Officer and camp commandant told NAN that the death of the nurse was shocking.
“Her death was a huge shock for all of us, she did not show any sign of illness, in fact, she was attending to an athlete and needed to get her some drugs around 8 p.m.
“She left the camp to get the drugs at Nisports; that was all we saw of her alive,’’ she said.
Oreweme described the nurse as dutiful and dedicated.
Eke Chukwudi, Director of NISports, also told NAN that the staff was active in service and very disciplined on her job.
He said that the nurse would be missed by her colleagues in Nisports and NSC.
“It is a sad accident, it will come to everybody at one time in life. Nobody knows when, except our Lord Jesus Christ.
“She died in active service, she was our staff. It is a pity we lost her at this time of her contribution to the nation,” he said.
According to him, the death of the nurse made him to cry when he heard the news.
“ I was called on the night of the accident and they said she was working late and went to give drugs to someone who was down.
“She took longer than normal to go and bring the drug for the person she was treating.
“ They started calling her phones, but they all rang out, so they went in search of her in her office.
“ They kept on calling the telephone while they traced the sound.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”10″]
“They found her lying on the ground, apparently she slumped and died.
“They checked to see if they could find a pulse but they could not, because it was already late.
“ We are going to give her a befitting burial,’’ the director said. (NAN)