He had since January, 2, 2013 been bedridden at the orthopaedic section of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital.
He has not only spent his entire career savings, but also continued to incur debt on daily basis.
The pains of the officer are however compounded by the uncertainties which surround his hope of ever walking to continue his police duties.
After two surgical operations, Kamaldeen is still lying on his aching back. When he was told about the surgeries, he had gone into the theatre with a hope filled heart, thinking that after the surgeries, he would, walk again.
When the amount of money needed for the surgeries were mentioned, he knew it was huge, but his hope had fuelled, urging him to submit all his life savings.
He said he could not even now, begin to explain the heaviness in his heart, when after both surgeries and money paid; doctors could not give assurance that he would ever walk again.
Presently, Kamaldeen needs N6m for hip construction, knee and shoulder surgeries.
He is indebted to the tune of over a million naira for the medical services, which he has enjoyed since the ill fated accident happened on January, 2, 2013.
He is due to be discharged from the hospital but his inability to pay the medical bill may deny him the chance of leaving the hospital wall.
The police officer, now at the Bola Tinubu Orthpaedic ward of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, revealed how he became bedridden.
His words: “Sometimes before the end of last year, I was assigned to handle a rape case. I was the Investigating Police Officer. We took the matter to court twice in December but the magistrate was not on seat. We were told to return to court in the first week of 2013. On January, 2, I got a call from the complainant, who was already in my office at Area D police command that we should prepare to go to court. On my way from my house in Ijako area of Ogun State, I had an accident.
“At Ahmadiyya Bus Stop, along Lagos – Abeokuta Expressway, a blue Volkswagen Golf, which was on a high speed, hit my motorbike from the back and crushed me with the bike. I was under the vehicle and dragged for up to two or three electric poles away from the scene of the incident, before the car finally stopped.
“I was rushed to Ahmadiyya Hospital , where I was given First Aid treatment and the doctor said that I had femur head fracture, right knee fracture and shoulder fracture and my back severely bruised from the neck to the waist.
“On that particular day, I was referred to the Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, where we were told that there was no bed available and we were directed to LASUTH. When I got to LASUTH, I called my boss at the office and told him about my predicament. I told him to break my locker, that the case file was ready as well as the charge sheet. The matter was charged to court, the next day after the incident.”
Since that fateful accident, the victim has been bedridden, incurring the debt of N2000 for bed and diet daily.
In the first three months, he was spending N8 000 daily on antibiotics and when he exhausted his savings, he cut it down to N4000 daily.
He said he had sold all that he had.
He further said: “In April this year, I had my first surgery at the cost of N210 000 and the second one in May. I am yet to pay for the implant and other things with which the second surgery was done.
“The supplier of the implant has been coming here. I still need at least two more surgeries, which will depend on how fast my body react to the first and second surgeries,”” Kamaldeen said.
He continued: “At a time, when the pains were too much and I couldn’t bear it, I called one of the nurses to discharge me and let me go home. I had rather die in my house!
“Initially, the doctor on duty said I would have to be flown abroad for treatment but a consultant came and assured them that the surgeries can be done in Nigeria. After the surgeries, doctors told me that it may not be as they thought.”
Kamaldeen wants Nigerians to assist him financially, in order to meet up with the money needed for the surgeries which would help regain full use of his legs.
He said: “I need money for the necessary funds for the overseas medical treatment and surgeries as well as money to offset my medical bills at the Lagos Sate University Teaching Hospital. My salary with the Nigeria Police Force has been stopped since October 2012! I’m was still trying to rectify the problem with my account when the incident happened. Till date, I’m yet to receive my salary since October last year.”
Normally, when members of the Nigerian Police Force are involved in life threatening situations, like the one Kamaldeen finds himself, the police used to assist such a victim by giving a token.
But that token, which is like a million dollar to the desperate corporal is not forthcoming. Why?
The reason is that policemen at Meiran Police Station, the area where the accident happened are supposed to incident the accident, thus making it official.
Kamaldeen said that the Meiran Policemen are demanding that he should come to their office himself, if he truly wanted the documents to be signed.
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