Unidentified accident victim in coma, hospital seeks relatives

The management of the St. Nicholas Hospital on Campbell Street in the Lagos Island area of Lagos State is battling to unravel the identity of an accident victim left in the care of the hospital by a Good Samaritan.The Administration Manager of the hospital, Mr. Kunle Bamigboye, told our correspondent on Tuesday that the victim was among two casualties brought to the hospital after an auto accident on the Third Mainland Bridge on Thursday, January 23, 2015.PUNCH Metro had reported on Friday that about 14 passengers escaped death by a whisker on Thursday after two vehicles collided on the Third Mainland Bridge.One of the vehicles, a bus conveying some goods, was said to have had a burst tyre and rammed into the other commercial vehicle fillled with passengers.It was reported that officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority rushed the victims to the Lagos Island General Hospital.Bamigboye, however, said two of the casualties were brought in a private car by a Good Samaritan to the hospital around 3pm.He said the hospital, without collecting any money from the Good Samaritan, admitted the two victims in fulfilment of its corporate social responsibility.According to him, while one of them has been identified as a police officer and visited by his relatives, the second victim, who has been receiving treatment at the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital, has not been identified.He said, “The two of them were brought here around 3pm on Thursday with a history of road traffic accident.“The company received them and gave them all the necessary treatment.“It was after both patients had been stabilised that it was discovered that one of them did not have anything by which he could be identified.“The other man is a police officer and his people have been here.“They are both stable, but the other man has yet to speak.”PUNCH Metro visited the ICU, where the victim was being treated, and observed that he showed signs of life as his right arm shook occasionally, though his eyes were shut.A neck brace was used to hold him in position on the bed, while some other medical gadgets were connected to his body.The General Manager of the hospital, Ms D. Claude-Ennin, said the hospital was concerned because his relatives might be looking for him.She said, “We believe he has family members out ther – brother, sister, wife or even friend– who are worried and looking for him since the incident happened without knowing he was involved in an accident.”