The Oredo Primary Health Centre in Benin City, the state capital, venue of the exercise was hit by the tragic death of a man, who came for medical attention for his ailment only to be killed there.
“A yet-to-be-identified man who came for free medical attention and treatment fell into a dilapidated skeptic tank at the premises of the health facility and died.
“It is sad that right in Benin, the state capital, government could not put its facilities in good shape including the rebuilding the septic tank,” a witness said.
According to him, the middle-aged man was in the queue waiting to register for the free medical services when he stepped on the septic tank.
“The deceased had left the queue to urinate and when he was returning to the queue, he mistakenly stepped on the skeptic tank part of which has been covered by weeds.”
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An emergency response team had brought in an excavator some hours later to evacuate the body from the septic tank.
The tragic incident, however, forced the suspension of the exercise.
Both the Police and the State Ministry for Health have yet to comment on the development.
As at the time of filing the report, the spokesman for the State Police Command, SP Kotongs Bello, could not be reached for his comment.
The outreach was organized in partnership with the Association of Nigerian Physicians in United States.
