The University of Ibadan, a mini-metropolis in itself with 19 Academic Faculties and 140 departments, has over 1212 housing units for staff and over 39,000 students sequestered within various on-campus halls of residence and apartments off-campus. Yet, it has not one reliable emergency health hotline. During the day, this may not seem as much of a problem as tricycles, taxis and other modes of transport are readily available. But what happens when a medical emergency arises at 3 am in one of the halls of residence?
The University of Ibadan Health Services, commonly known as Jaja Clinic, offers comprehensive healthcare to students, staff, and the broader university community. The clinic features specialised units including dental, optical, and pharmaceutical services to ensure well-rounded care while at its core providing primary healthcare services, including outpatient consultations, diagnoses, and treatment of common illnesses.
In times of emergency, every second counts—most apparent in medical emergencies with human lives on the line. Emergency hotlines play a crucial role in providing timely assistance to those in need, making them a vital tool in disaster response and management. Perhaps due to a lack of awareness, Jaja Clinic’s emergency hotlines are not a major topic of discussion among students, though many are already aware of various other lapses like stated in this Idia Press report.
However, one-on-one conversations with those at the helm of affairs provide a clearer picture of things. On that note, UIMSA Press interviewed the principal student officers on health-related matters, the health ministers of UI’s various halls of residence, to better understand the scope of this problem.
Responsiveness
Jaja is open to students from 8:30 am to 8:00 pm every business day for general consultation. In addition, the students are assured of a 24-hour emergency service provided by doctors and nurses, including on weekends and public holidays. However, the health ministers, entrusted with the duty of calling the clinic in cases of emergency have rarely received reliable responses from those in charge of the hotlines. And this is with an average of 2-4 emergencies in each hall per month.
Take for example the case of Omolade Hephzibah Abologbonrin, Obafemi Awolowo Hall’s Health Minister, who was awoken in the middle of the night by a resident of her hall complaining of serious abdominal pain despite being off her period. While trying to comprehend the situation, she called the hotline in the hope that someone at the other end of the line would answer but this effort was futile. After unsuccessfully searching for another source of help, she knew she had to take the bull by the horns. The resident had last eaten a meal the previous afternoon but reportedly refused all food that night. Ms Abologbonrin concluded that it could be indigestion due to the nature of the situation and gave her antacids which subsided the pain minutes later. If this instance wasn’t so straightforward, we could be telling a different story now.
This is one of the many problems faced by health ministers who make use of the hotline. There have even been situations where there would be a response but the person at the other end would claim to have already been transferred from Jaja to another UI department or are just simply not on duty. Although some have offered to phone those they believe to be available, the feedback is rarely timely in cases of urgency.
We could also refer to the case of Ayomikun* who has simply given up on calling the hotline after multiple instances of deadlock while trying to get a hold of the emergency services? This is even after receiving an updated emergency hotline from the Director of the University Health Services, Dr. Aderonke Ajav. Or Jay*, who, at late hours, is usually aided by random drivers, hostel members that have cars or even the University’s patrol vehicles in dire cases.
The House Secretary’s Intervention
Fifty percent of the Health Ministers interviewed by UIMSA Press claimed they were unaware of the intervention of the House Secretary, Elemide Daniel, in handling emergency calls instead and providing the UI’SU bus for them. Elemide has been quoted as saying that in cases of emergency, health ministers reached out to him to use the union’s bus to get students to Jaja. And this has been confirmed, with some Health Ministers testifying to calling him at those times, however, it was stressed that the House Secretary only answered these calls a low percentage of the time. “Most times, calling and trying to get a reach of the House Secretary is as fruitless as trying to get across to the UHS itself,” one respondent observed. Elemide however denied this claim, stating that he usually answered the calls and insisting that out of 20 calls, he may have missed only three.
In the course of this investigation, it was discovered that the UI’SU bus has been seen to be used for unofficial purposes around campus, even at odd hours. Which raises the question—were these trivialities more significant than the fragility of human lives and the need to transport critically ill individuals to the right quarters as fast as possible? When questioned further, Elemide clarified that he had used the bus to help transport students from their hostels to Jaja before. He also explained that the so-called unofficial uses of the bus were for transporting students to events such as hackathons, football competitions, concerts, and similar gatherings. According to him, students using the bus for these events contributed money to cover the cost of fuel. When asked how frequently students could access the bus for emergencies, Elemide responded, “As often as the bus is available.”
Regarding the usage of the bus at odd hours, the House Secretary stated that there are many reasons as to why he uses the bus at those times. He cited an example when in a particular hall of residence, a student was in distress. She needed support and to be escorted back to her hall, so he took her back to her hostel around midnight. He also mentioned instances where he assisted people stranded at the University gate with baggage and without any available means of transport in sight. “These and similar occurrences were just a means to genuinely assist Uites.“, he said.
Reportedly, there are also situations where the bus was unavailable to transport students in cases of emergency but he would always reach out to Keke drivers to transport them instead.
Questioned on his level of satisfaction with the current system, the former CBN Governor answered, “I am not satisfied with the current system, the school should be more responsive. Most of the time, they have issues with the ambulance being on ground. I’ve also had cause to call Jaja and get the ambulance to go and meet students wherever they are, and have had the support of Abefele at times when I could not be mobile to assist. We need the ambulance to be up and running at all times.“
When quizzed on earlier campaign promises to make the emergency hotlines available to the student populace, he reflected, “Factoring in the reality of the situation, we figured that many people would call for issues that could have been handled in their hall with first aid through their Health Ministers. We would have so many people calling Jaja for the littlest things and even the seemingly more significant cases would not be attended to on time.“
The Health Ministers’ Propositions
Hostels close to Jaja—Ransome Kuti Hall, Sultan Bello Hall, and to a lesser extent, Nnamdi Azikiwe Hall, Great Independence Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall do not rely as much on the emergency hotlines due to their proximity to the clinic. Alexander Brown Hall and Ayodele Falase Hall also for obvious reasons, do not make use of the hotline given that they are situated in the University College Hospital. But what about University hostels that are a significant distance from the clinic? This includes the private hostels that do not even have Health Ministers of their own with the exception of Iyalode Taofikat Hall. What can be done to ensure that every resident of the University of Ibadan is assured of reliable Emergency hotlines at any time of the day? The suggestions of health ministers contacted by UIMSA Press are stated below:
- The University Health Service is severely understaffed. There is a need to employ more staff in Jaja, specifically for the emergency hotline service. Hiring more personnel dedicated to handling hotline calls would help ensure that calls are answered promptly and emergencies are addressed without any unnecessary delays.
- Adequate funding and prioritizing transportation for the University Health Services (UHS). The university needs to allocate sufficient funds to the health services. A major area of focus should be improving transportation, such as ensuring ambulances or emergency vehicles are available at all times. This would help significantly, especially at night when commercial transport options are scarce.
- Implementing shift schedules for hotline operators. To maintain a 24/7 emergency response system, those handling the hotline should work in shifts—some covering the daytime while others manage the night. This prevents burnout and ensures continuous availability.
- Providing proper orientation to students about the hotlines. Many students may not be aware of the emergency hotlines and the modus operandi surrounding them. A well-organized orientation program should educate students on the availability and proper use of the hotlines. This should not be taken for granted as students have prank-called the emergency hotlines before.
When interviewed, Ms Abologbonrin of Obafemi Awolowo Hall stated that students should be more compassionate towards the University Health Service as those who work there are understaffed and overworked.
Until more conducive measures are put in place, we can only keep hoping that in time, the situation is normalised, and students of the University of Ibadan are granted access to the bare minimum—healthcare for all.
(*) Some names have been changed for anonymity’s sake.
Not all Health Ministers responded to requests for interviews
Lily Tina