Sky Bank Former MD Manslaughter Trial: Nurse Reveals How Bola “Begged “ Them To Help Save Deceased’s Life

By Feima Sesay

Augusta Kamara, a state registered nurse, has on Tuesday 7th May 2024 explained before Justice Momoh Jah Stevens how the accused Ikubolaje Nicol pleaded with them to help save the deceased Sinnah Kai Kargbo’s life.

Augusta Kamara led in evidence by state counsel Aruna Jalloh said she is a nurse attached to the shuman hospital and has been a nurse for eight years and works at shuman hospital for five years now.

She said some of her duties as a nurse is to attend to patient, check their vital and take it to the doctor and after which will be called by the doctor in charge to treat them.

According to her, they have three categories of patients, Conscious patient, semi conscious and unconscious patient.

The witness in further evidence said she knows the accused as one of their patients who normally goes to the hospital for treatment and also recalled 16th October 2022.

The witness said on the aforementioned date around 6 to 7am, she was on duty giving medication to patients when she heard a voice calling on the nurses for help.

”I was told by the receptionist that there was an emergency so I rushed rushed down stairs together with the BP machine and a pair of glove. Upon my arrival, I met the accused and I saw his vehicle open with the deceased lying on the lap of one OSD personnel with spoon in her mouth and spit coming down from her mouth”, the witness explained.

She said upon seeing the patient’s condition, she placed the thermometer on her forehead but it did not read so she immediately called the potter to take her inside for the doctor to see her which they did.

The witness said she observed that her lips were swollen and could not move, adding that she was wearing short trousers with a t-shirt and that she was not wearing a bra.

According to her, the deceased was placed on a wheelchair and later a stretcher, noting that whiles she was about to prepare to bed, she met the accused at the corridor saying “o God una help me.”

The witness said she immediately called Doctor Bangura who came and checked the deceased’s temperature and pulse oximeter, but said it dit not read adding that the doctor further did Cardio preliminary resourcitation (CPR) on her.

She said after the doctor’s examination, they reliased that she was already dead before coming to the hospital, noting that the doctor then called for the one that came with the patient whiles the accused, she said, was standing at the corridor and upon hearing what the doctor said about the accused, went outside the hospital.

According to the witness, upone learning that the accused has left, she went to the doctor and informed him, adding that the doctor then instructed the potter to take the deceased away.

“Since the accused was a patient at the hospital, we looked for his number on his chart and called him and he responded that he would be back and the remains of the deceased was taken to the other vehicle where the OSD personnel and the driver were,” she stated.

Argument, she said, ensued between her and the driver who later opened the vehicle and helped place the remains of the deceased in the vehicle and she left them outside to continue her work.

Doctor Bangura, she said, is no longer working at shuman hospital and that she made statement to the police.

In her cross examination by lawyer Rowland Wright, he put it to her that she forgot to mention that she placed pulse oximeter on her tray when she was about to check the deceased, the witness in response said she only had BP machine, pair of glove and thermometer in her tray.

Lawyer Wright asked the witness where the pulse oximeter was placed when checking a patient, the witness said it was placed on the finger.
When the witness was asked whether she recalled her statement to the police during the investigation, she replied in the afirmative.

Lawyer Wright applied for the witness’ statement to be tendered pursuant to section 190 sub section 2 of the CPA 1965.

Statements of the witness made to the police were produced and tendered respectively to form part of the defense case.

When page 19 of the witness’ statement was read in court where she was asked by the police whether she observed any bleeding on the deceased, the witness replied that no she did not focus on that but was trying to do pulse oximeter test and CPR on the deceased.

The witness denied that portion of her statement saying that she has never done CPR on a patient.
When she was asked that whiles testifying she said she saw two cars but did not see the accused with two cars, the witness said she was told by the receptionist that the accused came with two cars.

On page 5 of the witness’ statement it was revealed that when the doctor examined the deceased and discovered that she had died, and the doctor spoke to the accused so when the witness said the accused ran away she was not telling the truth.

When the witness was asked where was the IC unit, she replied that it was at the ground floor and that they did not have lift at the hospital and that the deceased was placed on the stretcher to make it easier for them to climb the stairs.

Lawyer Wright put it to the witness that it was up to 10 minutes before the doctor checked the patient, the witness replied in the nagetive, adding that only the doctor can perform a CPR with their hands to resurcitate patient.

The witness confirmed in cross examination that after she had examined the deceased in the car, she called her colleague to prepare the Intensive Care unit.

At this juncture, the matter was adjourned to Friday 10th May 2024 for further hearing.