The management of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) has again reiterated that the facility is not culpable in the alleged missing intestines of Adebola Akin-Bright, a 12-year-old patient referred to the hospital after surgery in a private hospital.
The patient’s mother, Abiodun Deborah, had earlier appealed to Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to order a probe into the mysterious disappearance of her son’s intestines after undergoing corrective surgery for intestinal obstruction in July this year.
She explained that her son was referred to LASUTH from Obitoks Medical Centre, Alimosho, where he had previously undergone surgery for a ruptured appendix, and another surgery for intestinal obstruction, but to her shock, after the corrective surgery at LASUTH, she was informed by the Consultant that her son’s small intestine was missing.
A statement issued by LASUTH debunked the insinuation made by the mother of the patient in a viral video on social media that the alleged loss of her son’s intestines after surgery is a matter between the private hospital and LASUTH.
According to the statement, LASUTH is an excellent tertiary institution with highly knowledgeable and skilled medical consultants and equipped with state-of-the-art facilities.
The teaching hospital said the patient in question was referred to the hospital after having two surgeries carried out in a private hospital and required extensive optimisation in LASUTH’s facility before a corrective surgery could be carried out.
“During the surgery, which was carried out by an experienced Paediatric Surgeon and her team, certain strange findings were discovered. There is a video clip of these intraoperative findings. The mother was informed about these findings but appeared to be in denial.
“The hospital is in possession of a comprehensive report of the findings by a high-powered panel that it quickly set up to look into all ramifications of the case. LASUTH only performed corrective surgery and did not wilfully remove any organ or structure,” the statement read in part.
While empathising with the family of the patient, the management expressed belief that financial assistance from any quarter will be in order but did not think that blackmail of the State Government by the mother via social media is the best approach.
The statement maintained that the hospital management is cooperating with the state agency which is already investigating the rather unfortunate case.