LASUTH denies allegations of missing intestines of a 12-year-old patient

The Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) has denied allegations that the intestines of a 12-year-old patient, Adebola Akin-Bright, went missing after he underwent surgery at the hospital.

The patient’s mother, Deborah Abiodun, had claimed in a viral video that her son’s small intestines were missing after he was operated on for intestinal obstruction in July. She had also appealed to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to investigate the matter.

However, LASUTH, in a statement on Saturday, debunked the allegation, stating the claims Abiodun made in the video was a matter between the private hospital where Akin-Bright had his first two surgeries and LASUTH.

The government hospital said that Akin-Bright was referred to LASUTH after having two surgeries at the private hospital. He required extensive optimisation at LASUTH before corrective surgery could be carried out.

“During the surgery, which was carried out by an experienced pediatric surgeon and her team, certain strange findings were discovered,” LASUTH said in a statement.

“There is a video clip of these intraoperative findings. The mother was informed about these findings but appeared to be in denial.”

LASUTH stated that it has a comprehensive report of the findings by a high-powered panel that it quickly set up to look into all the ramifications of the case. The hospital said that it only performed corrective surgery and did not willfully remove any organ or structure.

It also noted that it empathises with the family of the patient and that financial assistance from any quarter would be in order.

LASUTH added that blackmailing the state government by the mother via social media is the best approach and noted that it is cooperating with the state agency, which is already investigating the case.