Life changed drastically for Murtala Umar Isa in 2023 after a motor accident left him unconscious in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital for six months. “Here in Sokoto city,” Umar recalls, his eyes moist with tears as he struggles to brush off the jokes people now make about him.
The 27-year-old, an indigene of Isa Local Government Area, Sokoto State, had simply stepped out to buy items for Iftar during Ramadan. Little did he know the day would end in tragedy.
“If I had known, I wouldn’t have gone along the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH) axis that evening,” he said.
The accident happened around 5:30 p.m. That is the last thing he remembers before waking up drenched in blood. He had been in the company of another person whose identity he preferred not to disclose.
What struck Umar most was that the vehicle ran over them twice. “After that, we were all unconscious,” he recalled, his words breaking with sobs.
Asked about the driver, he said bitterly, “No. The driver left. He thought I was dead, or that I would die.”
No complaint was filed with the police. For Umar, the disdainful look he wears says it all — there seemed no point.
A fight for life
Umar was rushed to UDUTH where he began treatment. But the initial relief of survival soon gave way to what he calls jarabawa — a Hausa word for trial or hardship.
“Most of the expenses were from family,” he lamented, unsure if the English word suffering truly captured what he was going through.
Before the accident, Umar’s life brimmed with promise. The third of seven children, he graduated from Unity Secondary School, Karaye (Kano State) in 2014 and gained admission into UDUS in 2016 to study Medicine and Surgery (MBBS).
“I was being considered a professor of Medicine,” he laughed softly, recalling how classmates often admired his academic brilliance.
But everything changed in his 500-level clinical year. “This thing happened when I was in 500-level,” he said, his voice shaking.
The accident forced him out of school for two years while he received treatment. “Not a repeat,” he clarified. “It’s just now that I’ve returned to studying.”
The weight of treatment
“Treatment cost a lot,” Umar explained. “We spent N4.6 million before I even regained consciousness.”
All of it came from his family. “Not a single kobo was raised through fundraising,” he said, expressing gratitude especially to his elder brother, Yaha Aminu Umar, a secondary school teacher.
Still, Umar continues to spend much of his time within the hospital. He is battling dysarthria — a speech disorder caused by damage to the organs involved in speech production. He now attends regular speech therapy sessions at UDUTH’s Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) ward.
“They stimulate and vibrate my tongue and throat with the phonetics of the alphabet. I’m improving now,” he said. “Just a few letters remain difficult. I sometimes mix them up. But even the ENT unit commended my progress.”
Umar uses a vibrator and stimulator to help strengthen his lips and tongue for accurate speech. Though progress is slow, he remains hopeful.
“Yes, I’m still on treatment. I find it difficult to speak in public,” he admitted, noting how it affects his studies and ward rounds as a clinical student.
Plea for support
Despite the challenges, Umar is determined to continue his education. “Because of this illness, I need support and help to continue studying and learning, to become a good doctor,” he appealed, calling on the university management and Sokoto State Government to assist with funding and learning materials.
Student leader speaks
When contacted, Aminu Muhammad Zurmi, a final-year medical student and President of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Medical Students’ Association (UDUMSA), acknowledged the struggles students like Umar face.
“Exams are in written format, but medical students also have compulsory oral assessments. In such cases, examiners should exercise more patience,” he suggested.
Asked if UDUMSA had measures in place to support such students, he admitted: “Technically, we haven’t identified any till now, so we haven’t derived measures to be carried out.”
By Wonderful Adegoke, 300L Medical Laboratory Science student with Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS)
