Family Blames British Doctor’s Wrong Diagnosis for Death of Magnus Onyibe’s Daughter
Kikaose Ebiye-Onyibe, a second year Law undergraduate at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom, passed away on Wednesday, April 12, 2017 following an unsuccessful surgery to remove a ruptured appendix at Gold Cross Hospital on Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.
According to her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ebiye-Onyibe, Kikaose had been complaining of lower abdominal pains since October last year and had visited a General Practitioner (GP) in Birmingham, where she schooled.
The GP failed to diagnose the ailment correctly despite several visits in many months.
Instead of conducting a CT scan to identify her ailment, minor painkillers were recommended by the British doctor whenever she visited the clinic. Kika’s death is being blamed on service failure in the NHIS in the UK.
This is because it was only after Kika had arrived Nigeria on Tuesday, April 11 that it was discovered that her appendix had ruptured. The revelation was made after a visit to a doctor in Nigeria where a CT scan was carried out.
Upon discovery of the rupture, an immediate surgery was recommended in Nigeria by doctors who warned that Kika’s life would be in grave danger if she were to be flown back to the UK for the procedure.
Unfortunately, the surgery was not successful, as the hospital had no life support system to stabilise her and Kika passed away.
Graduating from Greenwoods House School, Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, and Lagoon School, Lekki, Lagos, where she had her primary and secondary school education, Kikaose had a clear idea of what she wanted to do in life.
Like most students in their early teens, she was ambitious and opted for her Basic Studies programme at Bridge House College, Ikoyi, Lagos.
Upon completing the course, she travelled to the UK for a Law programme at the University of Birmingham, where she was before her sudden demise.
Kika was a bubbling young lady that was full of lofty dreams and aspirations.
Above all, she loved her creator, the almighty God and it was unsurprising that she resolved to attend church regularly; assembled her mates together for fellowship and talked at informal sessions with her friends. In fact, Kika had a passion for God. A Facebook post on her wall on May 27, 2011 explains her thought process.
“Can anyone tell me why it is so hard to pray, but easy to swear? Why clubs are growing and churches are shrinking? Why it is so hard to repost a Christian status but easy to post gossip?
“Why we can worship a celebrity but not Jesus? Jesus said: If you deny me in front of your friends, I will deny you in front of my father. Repost if you’re not afraid of what your friends will think,” she wrote.
A winner of many awards, she was the Yellow House captain at Lagoon School and also won an award for leadership, amongst others.
While schooling at Bridge House, she was the events coordinator.
She played an active role as a member of the GIFT fellowship, University of Birmingham.
Kika, who would have turned 19 on April 29, led a short but eventful life.
According to her family, Kika achieved more and was a good example of the adage, ‘life is measured by the quality of life lived and not the number of years spent’.
She once confided in her parents about her decision to concentrate on advocacy and rights issues in her Law programme.
Kika left behind her parents Helen and Magnus Ebiye-Onyibe and two siblings, Sopuluchukwu and Ebubechukwu.
In commemoration of her transition, a service of songs will hold today at 33B Eti-Osa Way Dophin Estate, Ikoyi, from 4 p.m. while the interment will be at Ebony Vaults, George Street, off Alagbon Close, Ikoyi, Lagos, tomorrow.