It was learnt that Kareem, aged 30, was on his way to the Department of Establishment and Training within the Ondo State Government Secretariat, Alagbaka, Akure, to seek employment, when he fell into open drainage in front of the office and sustained a life-threatening injury.
A visually impaired man, Mr Babatunde Kareem, has been admitted to the Aljazira Hospital Igoba, Akure to nurse a life-threatening injury he sustained when he went to the Ondo State Government Secretariat to secure a job.
It was learnt that Kareem, aged 30, was on his way to the Department of Establishment and Training within the Ondo State Government Secretariat, Alagbaka, Akure, to seek employment, when he fell into open drainage in front of the office and sustained a life-threatening injury.
It was discovered that the ditch had several metals and iron rods that were lodged in his genital organs and other regions of his body, resulting in severe injuries and internal haemorrhage.
Nasirudeen Oladele, Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Association of the Blind Ondo State Chapter, further claimed that Kareem was in serious condition and would require more surgeries to survive.
Oladele appealed to the Ondo State government and well-meaning Nigerians for assistance in ensuring that Kareem had the procedures as soon as possible, as indicated by the hospital.
He said, “The incident occurred on Monday 22nd of May 2023, he was informed that his name was out for a training/employment opportunity. Unfortunately he fell into the open gutter and this has affected him largely.
“The first hospital he was rushed to rejected him due to the severity of the injury and asked he should be taken to the Federal Medical Centre Owo before another private hospital accepted to rescue him because the bleeding was getting out of hand.
“A surgical operation has been done on him to stop the bleeding and this was funded by his church members, but more fund is required to get the necessary surgery done,” Oladele said.
“Kareem needs over 500,000 Naira to do the next surgery. The doctor said he had urethral injury which necessitated suprapubic catheterization and that he is due for urethral repair surgery in the next couple of weeks,” he added.
Oladele thereafter appeal to the Ondo State Government and relevant agencies to “come to the rescue of Mr. Babatunde Kareem’s life and ensure the immediate construction of culvert on all the frontage of public offices most especially deep gutters and one with metals to prevent similar occurrence in the future.”
He also noted that “the agency of government that left the gutter uncovered in-spite of knowing that it could be a death trap should not be left unquestioned because this action does not meet up with the best global practices in creating accessible environment.”