Patient’s missing intestines, LASUTH not culpable— Mgt

The management of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, has denied culpability in the alleged disappearance of the intestines of Adebola Akin-Bright, a 12-year-old patient who was treated by the hospital.

The mother of the patient, Abiodun Deborah, had earlier cried out to the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to probe the mysterious disappearance of her son’s intestines after undergoing corrective surgery for intestinal obstruction in July this year.

According to Abiodun, 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.

But in a response on its handle on X (formerly Twitter) @LASUTHikeja the LASUTH management said. At the same time, corrective surgery was indeed carried out on the patient in question, it insisted that LASUTH did not willfully remove any organ or structure from the patient who was referred to the tertiary health institution after having two surgeries done in a private hospital.

In the statement, the hospital management explained that it has a thorough report detailing the conclusions of a high-powered panel that it set up to investigate the potential outcomes of the case, even as it gave assurance that it is cooperating with the state agency which is already investigating the rather unfortunate case.

The statement reads: “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. He required extensive optimisation in our facility before a corrective surgery could be carried out.

“At the surgery, which was carried out by an experienced pediatric 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 she 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 this case. Clearly, our hospital carried out a corrective surgery and did not willfully 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 a blackmail of the state government via the social media is the best approach.

"The hospital management is cooperating with the state agency which is already investigating this rather unfortunate case,’ the statement noted.