Diabetic UNIZIK student dies after locked-in hostel keys hindered access to medication

A diabetic female student at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) has died after an accidental lockout at a semi-private hostel prevented access to crucial medication.

The student, identified as Isabella Ajana, is a 100-level undergraduate of law at the institution in Awka, Anambra.

She died on Friday, July 4, following closely on the heels of another student’s death just four days prior.

Ajana, a type 1 diabetes patient, was admitted to Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital on June 30.

Sources within Emalda Hostel, the hostel facility near the university, said the chain of events began on June 27, when Ajana and her roommates mistakenly left their key inside their room and were locked out.

Efforts to obtain a spare key from hostel authorities were unsuccessful, as the key custodian was unavailable until June 30.

On the night of June 29, Ajana’s health took a critical turn as her essential insulin and medication were trapped inside the locked room.

Despite attempts to manage her condition overnight to access her medication on Monday morning, her health did not stabilise.

Ajana was said to have been initially rushed to the UNIZIK medical centre, from where she was then referred to the teaching hospital.

Reports indicate she had shown signs of improvement by Thursday, July 3, only to tragically pass away the following day, July 4.

Her death was not immediately disclosed publicly, at the request of her family, until July 8.

The university community has been plunged into mourning, accompanied by widespread outrage and calls for accountability.

Emma Ojukwu, a staff member at UNIZIK’s public relations department, said the university has constituted a panel to investigate any possible role played by both the university’s medical centre and the hostel involved.

“The girl had type 1 diabetes, meaning she needed daily insulin. It’s mostly an abnormal situation for a girl as young as 17, 18 to have type 1 diabetes. But she didn’t disclose her health in her records with the university,” the communications staff.

“She was not even enrolled in our medical centre, which she was entitled to as a year one student.

“The doctors didn’t have enough information about her, which was a complication.

“Even some of her roommates were not aware that she had a peculiar medical problem.

“They then rushed her to the teaching hospital, where she was resuscitated before she relapsed and died.”

Ajana’s death comes just days after a 300-level microbiology student, identified only as Tochi, collapsed and died while playing football at the institution.

The consecutive deaths have intensified calls for improved student welfare and safety measures across the university’s accommodations.