Miss Mayowa Ahmed is an old patient of the Lagos University Teaching
Hospital who has been on treatment for another condition. This
31year-old lady came into the Private Wing of LUTH on Monday, 25th July,
2016 with a history and clinical features of an intra-abdominal mass.
The family and the patient brought along some results of laboratory
investigations ordered and done from outside LUTH.
Three different
Specialists were invited to review Mayowa. The Gynaecologist, Oncologist
and Haematologist all arrived at a tentative diagnosis of an abdominal
malignancy. They planned to conduct a series of fresh tests to confirm
the definitive diagnosis, since the earlier tests were neither requested
nor authorised by any doctor from LUTH.
The family however requested to fly Miss Ahmed outside the country
barely 24 hours after her admission in LUTH, thus stalling all the
planned investigations meant to arrive at a definitive diagnosis. We
were able to transfuse her with much-needed blood only after lots of
persuasion where the family was told point blank that it was risky for
her to travel by air, given her low blood count.
Today is the 3rd day
after admission and a definitive diagnosis has not yet been made while
the relations insist on their own to carry her abroad. LUTH has only
dealt with Miss Ahmed and her relations throughout her stay and not with
any other third party.
Contrary to any circulating information, the
Lagos University Teaching Hospital did not refer Miss Ahmed overseas and
this Institution is not involved with any fund-raising activity or
activist on her behalf.
There was a disturbance of the peace today around the ward premises.
When an altercation involving Miss Ahmed’s relatives and persons not
known to the Hospital ensued, the police were invited to restore peace
in the Hospital. Both parties are presently with the police and we urge
the general public to patiently await the outcome of the ongoing police
investigations.
We also enjoin the good-natured public, our caring
press-men and all philanthropists to seek the expert opinions of
specialists in Nigeria if we want to maximise the gains of their
concerted efforts and selfless contribution towards alleviating the
suffering of fellow Nigerians.
LUTH Management