Nigerian actress Dada Omowunmi has spoken about her sepsis scare while working on a film project in Oyo State.
This came after fellow actress Jemima Osunde shared her own health issues from eating contaminated food on a movie set in Ibadan.
Dada shared her experience on social media, saying she was left in a hotel room by the production team as she was getting worse.
She said her family and management had to send a car to rush her to a hospital in Ibadan where she arrived unconscious.
The actress added that doctors diagnosed her with sepsis, a life threatening condition caused by the body’s extreme response to infection.
Omowunmi attributed her survival to timely intervention but was disappointed with the production company’s actions.
She said despite her condition, the company asked for full refund when she couldn’t continue with the project.
Her words, “Funny thing, production asked for full refund. Hmm…” was her way of saying she was shocked and annoyed.
Jemima Osunde who had earlier shared her own experience of contracting Helicobacter pylori from contaminated food on a film set, commiserated with Dada.
Osunde said after her own health scare which led to her developing Gastroesophageal reflux disease, she had to foot her own medical bills.
She also said the production team asked for refund, ignoring her recovery and the breach of contract.
Both actresses’ stories expose the challenges actors face in the Nigerian film industry especially with regards to health and safety on set.
Incidents like these show that production companies need to put the well-being of their cast and crew first by providing hygienic food and medical care when emergencies arise.
Sepsis which Dada had is a severe medical condition that can lead to organ failure and death if not treated on time.
According to World Health Organization (WHO), sepsis affects millions of people worldwide every year, low and middle income countries bear the brunt of it. Early symptoms are fever, rapid breathing, confusion and extreme fatigue. Prompt medical attention is key to survival.
Let’s learn from this. Nollywood stakeholders must up their game on OHS. Actors, crew and management must work together to provide care on set to prevent health emergencies.
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