Ogun intending pilgrim slumps, dies at Hajj seminar

Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta

Pandemonium struck on Thursday at the final seminar organised by the Ogun State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board at the secretariat mosque, Oke Ilewo, Abeokuta for all the intending pilgrims to the holy land of Mecca and Medinah as an aged woman, who was among the intending pilgrims from the state slumped and died.

The aged woman identified as Oladokun Silifat Ajinni who had perfected all necessary arrangement for this year’s hajj exercise in Saudi Arabia was among others who had come for the last in the series of programmes to prepare the intending pilgrims from the state.

Our correspondent gathered that the woman had earlier been advised to consult her physician for medical check up, as she had been earlier diagonised of high blood pressure during the medical screening last month.

It was further gathered that when the woman appeared for the immunisation exercise during the seminar, the medical team, after screening her, again, observed that she has not adhered to the medical advise earlier.

Sources at the sensitisation programme informed our correspondent that the woman was immediately apprehensive of the likelihood of being disqualified from going to the pilgrimage, because of her condition, adding that, she suddenly developed some feverish symptoms and was said to be panting and breathing heavily.

She was asked to take some rest, while her son, who accompanied her to the seminar get some food for her and according to sources, she slumped immediately she took the food and she was immediately rushed to the hospital, where she was confirmed dead.

Confirming the incident to PM News Friday morning, leader of the State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Medical team, Dr. Nasirudeen Bello, described the incident as unfortunate and inevitable, explained that the woman had been hypertensive and was not on any medication until she was screened and advised to see a physician and come back with evidence.

Bello explained that the woman was asked to come back for what he called, “event of intervention via medication”,added that, he was surprised to note that the blood pressure was still up.

He allayed fear that she of being Ebola Virus Disease, the Medical Doctor affirmed that the deceased had no symptom of the dreaded virus.

According to him, “We sent her to see her physician and put her on appropriate medication, but when she came back yesterday, she has not been taken any medication and in the process of evaluating her, she slumped. Immediately, we came around and commenced resuscitation to revive her but her condition was not improving and within minutes, we took her to the State General Hospital, Ijaiye, Abeokuta, where she was confirmed death.

“She was not an acutely ill person. What happened was a sudden event, most likely, a cardiovascular event, that was the working diagnosis. But, the true cause of her death can only be affirmed through autopsy and until that is conducted on her, only God knows best. Her death is unfortunate and inevitable,” Bello said.