NMA Objects To Taraba State House Invitation to Prof. Aliyu Over Governor Suntai Remarks
Danbaba Suntai
By SaharaReporters, New York
Following the crash in October 2012 near Yola, Adamawa State, of an aircraft he was flying, the governor has been receiving treatment in a German hospital for serious brain injury. In the interview with Daily Trust, Dr. Aliyu confirmed that Governor Suntai suffers from loss of speech as well as inability to comprehend speech him because of brain injuries.
Speaking to newsmen, the national president of the NMA, Dr Osahon Enabulele said that the lawmakers got it wrong in hurriedly setting up a committee to probe the CMD, saying that the path being taken by the lawmakers cannot save the situation over the health status of the governor.
‘’I do not think that the way members of the state House of Assembly are going about it is ideal. They have absolutely no control over issues of ethical conduct of doctors; they are not the regulatory body and so if they have any issue they feel they opt to have done, was to have referred the matter to the regulatory council which is the Medical and Dental Council or his association, Nigeria Medical. Therefore they have absolutely no responsibility in that regard,’’ he said.
He explained that the lawmakers ought to have understood that there are strict regulations and laws in terms of professional conduct which should not be violated.
“But as they decided to scrutinize whatever behaviour they thought exhibited by the doctor, Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) is totally against it, because it’s not a right approach.
‘’Whatever complaint or whatever feelings and position they have, they should have conveyed to the appropriate bodies to look into the matter rather than to assign the power to themselves by setting up committee to probe the matter,’’ he noted.
Dr. Aliyu is to appear before the Taraba State House of Assembly next Tuesday to answer questions over the newspaper interview and his comments about Governor Suntai.
Confirming the invitation, Prof.Zakari has said he would present himself before the House as a law abiding citizen but that the committee sitting must be open; the press allowed to cover it; and a representative of the NMA present, as only doctors best understand the code of ethics of the profession and when it has been violated.
“Some seem to be jittering or rattled, and are afraid of reshufflement, just want the status quo remain. It’s nothing but the truth,’’ he said.
It would be recalled that Dr Aliyu ,a Professor of Medicine and Public Health, recently returned from Germany where he went to visit the ailing governor.
In the interview, Aliyu said: “The basic problem that I saw with Governor Danbaba when I was with him included things like expressive aphasia (characterized by the loss of the ability to produce language—spoken or written), some degree of receptive aphasia (a patient’s inability to comprehend language or speak with appropriately meaningful words), and spinal chord persistent.”
He explained that spinal chord injuries occur when blunt physical force damages the vertebrae, ligaments, or disks of the spinal column, causing bruising, crushing, or tearing of spinal cord tissue, and when the spinal cord is penetrated.
“All these are things that will occur or improve gradually with time. But there are some aspects of procedure head injury in him that only time will tell and I believe we should be patient enough to give him another minimum of three months before we can start talking about anything else.”
Prof. Aliyu clarified that he was with Suntai soon after the crash on October 25, 2012, and had been visiting him in Germany since then, describing the governor as his friend, strong ally and a very strong family friend.
He further stated that he was one of those that helped to evacuate Suntai to Germany, stressing that the governor has “progressed significantly,” and with assistance, is now able to shower, brush his teeth, and feed himself.
“But there is still a substantial amount of rehabilitation that has to occur,” he said. “People should understand that he has what is called head injury. However I must also emphasize the fact that there are setbacks in this kind of situation as pendulum moving up and down. A moment the patient may look or sound well and there are moments same patient will actually go down.”
Asked if it is possible for Suntai to return to Nigeria soon as claimed by his aides, Prof. Aliyu said: “Well, you never say impossible in medicine, but that is very unlikely. I think the concern should be less about when will Governor Danbaba returns; it should be more on when he recovers. As a human being, he needs time to have full recovery.
“But for anyone to think that Governor Danbaba Suntai will be back in next couple of days, I think that is blatant misrepresentation of facts or trying to conceal facts. The truth about the matter is that the degree of head injury that he has, he needs substantial rehabilitation.
“And that’s why I am advocating he should be transferred to the United States of America, to the best centre in the world, so that he and his family will be settled in one place in US, where there is intensive experience when it comes to rehabilitation of persons with head injury.”
He described the governor’s experience as a “closed head injury” which occurs as a result of sudden stop following a high speed movement as in an aircraft or chopper crash.
“In the instance when this happens, the brain could move back and forth, left and right, colliding with the bony cranium,” he explained. “It may take weeks, months, even years for him to come back to his pre-accident state. It may take quite long for the head and brain to resolve the imbalance as a result of the TBI. The good news however is that he improves, so with time he can be able to function independently.”
Aliyu specified his preferred destination in the United States to be Johns Hopkins University Hospital, which is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and that he had already discussed his feelings with the acting governor as well as with Governor Suntai’s wife.
Commenting on published photos showing Suntai with the Plateau State’s Governor Jonah Jang, Prof. Aliyu said, “There is what is called information spin.
I was not there when Plateau governor visited him, he might find him while on good track. But to say that Governor Danbaba is having a 24-hour and very smooth conversational period to the extent that he can resume his executive activities as an executive governor, I think that’s far from the reality.
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