The Lagos State judicial panel on restitution for victims of SARS related abuses and other matters sitting in Lagos today Saturday 26th June 2021 was treated to a drama of sort by a witness who was summoned to give testimony in the petition involving Damilola Adedayo a Lekki EndSARS protester who was referred for X-ray scan on the 23rd of October 2020.
The witness Ugbomah Nduka claimed to be the chief radiographer at Foundation diagnostic limited located at 38 Enitan street, Aguda Surulere, Lagos.
He confirmed that he conducted a x-ray scan on the patient on the 23rd of October 2020 and issued him the film while the organization radiologist wrote a report on the X-ray done.
When asked to make a distinction between a radiographer and a radiologist, the witness affirmed that a radiographer ionizes radiation meaning he specializes in imagery of the human body parts or the body as a whole, while a radiologist is a medical doctor who specializes in radiology, reporting on images. According to the witness, a radiologist interpretes and writes a report on an X-ray scan. Witness confirms that the report on the X-ray conducted on Damilola Adedayo was written by a radiologist of Foundation diagnostic limited by name Dr. Henry Nkeme.
When asked why he was at the panel instead of Dr. Nkeme who authored the report and was the one summoned by the panel based on the witness summons since it was addressed to the radiologist, witness responded that the organization radiologist is not resident in the organization but only comes around when he is needed.
When Mr. Ugbomah Nduka was asked if he is competent to write a report on an X-ray as a radiographer, the witness said that is outside the purview of his work and moreover he is not competent to do so, that the writing of report on radiography scan is the function of a radiologist who is professionally competent to do so, but he claimed that he can write a radiography report on an X-ray scan if it’s not too technical, otherwise he refers it to a radiologist.
The witness further asserted that he doesn’t have to be necessarily qualified to undertake a radiologist function as a radiographer
On why he wasn’t the one who wrote the report on the X-ray scan of Damilola Adedayo before the panel, the witness said the X-ray scan before the panel was not technical but that it is not his job to write such report but that of a radiologist. He admitted that his duty as a radiographer was to take images of body while that of a radiologist is to write report on it.
He confirmed being a graduate of radiography from University of Lagos 2013/14 and a holder of PGD ultrasound radiography from same institution. When probed further on his educational qualification, witness stated that he was admitted to study medicine and surgery in 2006/7 but due to family issues, he dropped out from medicine and settled for radiography of which he was inducted in 2015.
Mr. Enitan (SAN), then applied for a witness summons on Dr. Henry Nkeme and the petitioner counsel also applied for a witness summons on the administrator of Foundation diagnostic limited and the Medical Director of General hospital Lagos Island.
The panel granted the witness summons application and adjourned the matter to 10th July, 2021 for further hearing.
