Patient dies after allegedly being rejected from Abuja Hospital

On the 26th of September, Greatness Olorunfemi was reportedly stabbed and thrown out of a moving vehicle along the Maitama-Kubwa highway. It was alleged in a viral video that the medical team at the hospital requested a police report and denied her treatment. A voice in the video could be heard in the background saying she died 20 minutes later.

However, correspondents who visited the hospital on Saturday found that Olorunfemi was brought into the hospital dead and there was no request for a police report. The deceased was the Assistant Secretary and Public Relations Officer of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria, Abuja Branch. She was also a community developer and member of the Young African Leaders Initiative Network.

CCTV footage of the incident seen by the correspondent revealed that the vehicle arrived at the entrance of the emergency unit of the hospital at 8:35 pm on September 26, and a nurse came out in less than a minute to examine her, and shook her head, signifying that the patient was already dead. At 8:36 pm, the nurse returned to the emergency unit and the man behind the viral video walked into the emergency unit to engage with the medical team on duty till 8:37 pm.

The man, however, walked out of the emergency unit at 8:38 pm and the door was shut behind him. At 8:40 pm, the nurse came out again and was seen addressing those who came with the patient. Afterwards, a female doctor came out at 8:41 pm to re-examine the patient till 8:42 pm.

Later, the doctor was seen addressing the people again till 8:44 pm when she returned to the emergency unit, and the door was shut again. It was gathered that the doctor reconfirmed that the patient was dead while addressing the people.

The Vice President of the CIPM, Abuja branch, Daniel Afolabi, said investigations were still ongoing and that the institute would issue a statement when due.

Afolabi added, “We have seen the videos, and investigations are ongoing and we have met with the Medical Director, Dr Imuentinyan Igbinovia. He also confirmed that the police and YALI team have been here and the Minister of Health and everyone is interested in the case, so let us exercise a little patience to get the facts of the incident.”

Findings showed that Olorunfemi’s corpse was deposited at the hospital’s mortuary. Meanwhile, the Mandate Secretary of the Federal Capital Territory Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, has commiserated with the family of the deceased.

According to a statement by the Assistant Director (Information) HSES, Badaru Yakasai, Fasawe visited the hospital on September 29, at about 1 am when she learnt of the development.

“In the circumstances, and for clarity, the secretary requested an autopsy and preparation for a coroner’s inquest to ascertain both the cause and circumstances of the death of the victim,” the statement added. Meanwhile, the Federal Capital Territory Police Command on Saturday said it had instituted an investigation into reports that Olorunfemi died after medical personnel at the hospital allegedly refused to attend to her for lack of a police report.

When contacted over the development on Saturday, the FCTerritory Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, said, “The police are investigating the matter.”