…’We are open to negotiations’
A United Kingdom-based Nigerian paediatrician and cardiologist, Dr. Ayodele Ogunko, has accused a private hospital in Lagos of negligence, exploitation, and ‘imprisoning’ the body of his late sister, Mrs. Yewande Oshofisan, weeks after her death.
Ogunko, who spoke to The Nation in an emotion-laden interview, said that the ordeal began when his sister developed severe breathing difficulties and was admitted to Military Hospital, Ikoyi. She allegedly received inadequate care due to poor facilities, including lack of electricity.
“She was isolated because doctors suspected tuberculosis. That fear meant she was practically abandoned, doctors and nurses wouldn’t go near her,” he recounted.
Dr. Okunko, coordinating her care from London at the time, advised her to leave Military Hospital and seek treatment at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), citing the expertise of its consultants despite known infrastructure challenges.
At LUTH, she was diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) complicated by secondary bacterial infection. Her condition deteriorated despite extensive treatment, costing the family over ₦2 million in drugs alone. She eventually became oxygen-dependent.
“In LUTH, even basic items like syringes and cotton wool had to be bought by patients. After about five weeks, she suffered a cardiac arrest, and in the ward where this happened, there was no resuscitation trolley,” he said.
Dr. Okunko personally intervened in resuscitating his sister using adrenaline. A doctor at LUTH recommended immediate transfer to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), but LUTH’s ICU had only six beds, five with equipment, and one without.
When a doctor recommended a nearby private facility, Awesome Grace Hospital, Dr. Okunko said he was initially impressed by its outward appearance.
“The building was beautiful, with shiny gates and a well-decorated reception. But behind the glitter was a lack of full-time specialists. The doctor who reviewed my sister was called in from LUTH for emergencies,” he alleged.
According to him, the ICU at Awesome Grace Hospital was “a far cry” from acceptable standards.
“There was no ECG machine, no proper isolation, and the nurse did not even know how to operate the ventilator beyond switching it on and off,” he alleged.
Ogunko claimed his sister’s condition worsened after the hospital failed to treat pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) — an opportunistic infection common in patients with damaged lungs — choosing instead to focus on less probable diagnoses.
The grieving doctor alleged that before admission, the hospital demanded a ₦1 million deposit and later an additional ₦300,000 for investigations. All drugs, he said, had to be purchased from the hospital’s pharmacy “to avoid fake medications.”
Within four days, Ogunko said, the bill had risen to ₦5 million, with ICU “bed fees” of ₦500,000 per day. The figure, he claimed, ballooned to almost ₦9 million after the hospital allegedly refused to transfer the patient to another facility despite a malfunctioning ventilator.
“I offered to pay an extra ₦1 million as commitment and move her immediately, but they insisted I clear the full bill before discharge,” he said. “They ignored their own written policy, which states they can stop treatment and discharge a patient if payment is delayed.”
Ogunko accused the hospital of inflating prices far above Lagos averages — where better-equipped ICUs charge between ₦200,000 and ₦250,000 daily, and HDUs around ₦100,000.
“They were charging rates not reflective of the services provided. I call it a scam,” he said. “They also prevented us from seeing her for days, hiding the poor state of facilities.”
The doctor further claimed the hospital restricted family visits, concealed her real condition, and may have declared her death later than it actually occurred.
He said his lawyer’s letter requesting his sister’s release, written before her death, was ignored.
Mrs. Oshofisan, a 68 year-old retired matron, died on July 22. The following day, Dr Ogunko said the hospital reportedly moved her body to the Military Hospital mortuary in Yaba but allegedly continues to control access even as the deceased son and church plan to the burial for 29th August.
“If I want to see my sister, I have to get permission from the hospital, and their nurse must accompany me to open the mortuary,” he lamented.
When Nigeria Health Times contacted Awesome Grace Hospital, a senior management of the hospital, Mr Theophilus Izobomofo denied any wrongdoing.
“We are in communication with Yewande’s son and expecting him for a meeting this week on how to conclude their payment and possibly release the remains this month.We are not here for negativity; we are here for health purposes, and we will not do anything to dent the image of anyone. We would say to him to go back to the books and see what is needed for him to do.”
The hospital said Mrs. Oshofisan spent 17 days in the ICU before her death and insisted it was willing to negotiate the final bill.
“When they come next week and we give them the bill, if they tell us what they can afford, we are open to negotiation.While we could insist on 100% payment, we are human. What has happened has happened, and we just want peace,” he added.
The management maintained that it was “not at war” with the family and urged the media to handle the matter with fairness.