Joshua Adiefeh, 20, died two weeks after he began studying at Manchester Metropolitan University after he called 999 complaining of stomach pain, with his family claiming paramedics ‘wouldn’t come’
The heartbroken family of a first year student claim medical staff dismissed his stomach pains and told him to take paracetamol, only for him to die just hours later.
Joshua Adiefeh, 20, died at New Medlock House student accommodation on September 28, two weeks after beginning his studies at Manchester Metropolitan University. Older brother, Daniel, 21, said during a phone call with ambulance call workers, his brother was told they “wouldn’t come because they didn’t think it was serious. He was clearly in a bad state”.
A North West Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We will investigate and communicate with [the family] directly about our findings.
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Joshua, originally from Bestwood in Nottingham, moved to Manchester to study accounting and finance. He was with his twin brother Joel when he first began to complain of stomach pains.
Daniel said: “Joel called the ambulance telling them to come and he told them the symptoms, which included short breaths. When Joel tried to pick Josh up he started screaming in pain – he couldn’t walk.
“And still the ambulance proceeded to say they wouldn’t come because they didn’t think it was serious. So then that’s when they told him to go get the paracetamol.”
When Daniel arrived he found his younger brother “unresponsive”. He said it was at this point that emergency services arrived and Joshua was pronounced dead two hours later.
The family was later informed that Joshua had died as a result of an intestinal blockage. In an online tribute to their brother, Daniel and Joel said he was “a man of faith”, and one of the fittest and healthiest people” they knew.
Daniel said: “It’s very difficult being without him right now, because growing up it was always us three together – we did everything together, from playing football, from going to the park, from going to the library to study – literally anything we did, we did together. So in these last couple weeks, it’s been abnormal. Sometimes it’s even hard to believe that you’re not going to see him again.”
In the months leading up to Joshua’s death he had suffered from bouts of sickness, but he “never really saw this as anything too serious”, according to Daniel. He added: “He’d had spells prior before going to uni where, let’s say he’s at work and he’d vomit. He never really saw it as anything too serious, so he’d literally carry on at work even though he’d vomit.
“He’d go on a diet to improve his body shape, which consisted of him literally eating once a day – and after he’d eaten, he’d just vomit. He thought the sickness was just a normal reaction to fasting and then eating heavily.”
Daniel said that these symptoms had stopped in the three weeks before Joshua left to go to university. A Manchester Metropolitan University spokesperson said: “It is with great sadness that we can confirm the death of our first year Accounting and Finance student Joshua Adiefeh. Our thoughts are with Joshua’s family and friends at this difficult time.”
A North West Ambulance Service spokesperson added: “We want to offer our sincere condolences to Joshua’s family at this very difficult time. We’ve invited them to contact our patient resolutions team with their concerns.”
