B Daniel Edu
The Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) in Ikeja has refuted allegations of wrongdoing in the case involving a 12-year-old boy who reportedly had his intestines go missing during treatment.
The incident gained public attention when the mother of the boy, Deborah Abiodun, claimed that her son, Adebola Akin-Bright, underwent a corrective surgery on July 14, 2023, at LASUTH, during which surgeons informed her that his small intestines were missing. The child had been referred to LASUTH from a private hospital, Obitoks Medical Centre, after facing complications from a previous surgery to correct intestinal obstruction.
In a statement posted on the microblogging platform X (formerly known as Twitter) on Saturday, September 2, LASUTH’s management categorically stated that they did not intentionally remove any organ or structure from the boy’s body during the corrective surgery. They emphasized the hospital’s possession of state-of-the-art facilities and a team of highly knowledgeable and skilled medical consultants who would not commit such medical errors.
The statement clarified, “Once again, the hospital management needs to clarify issues on the insinuations being made by a mother in a viral video that the alleged loss of her son’s intestines after surgery is a matter between a private hospital and LASUTH. Our hospital is an excellent tertiary institution with highly knowledgeable and skilled medical consultants. We are also equipped with state-of-the-art facilities. The patient in question was referred to our hospital after having two surgeries carried out in a private hospital.”
Additionally, LASUTH mentioned that the corrective surgery had been conducted by an experienced pediatric surgeon and her team, with video evidence available for further clarification.
The statement continued, “Clearly, our hospital carried out a corrective surgery and did not wilfully remove any organ or structure. We empathize with the family of the patient. We believe that financial assistance from any quarters will be in order, but we do not think that blackmailing the state government via social media is the best approach.”
Furthermore, LASUTH expressed its cooperation with the state agency investigating the case, hoping to resolve the matter transparently and address any concerns related to the unfortunate incident.
