LAGOS GOVERNMENT REJECTS EXTORTION ALLEGATION, GIVES ACCOUNT OF RANDLE HOSPITAL PATIENT’S TREATMENT

The Lagos State Government has dismissed allegations that a 21-year-old woman was denied timely medical attention or subjected to extortion at Randle General Hospital in Surulere, following a complaint that circulated on social media.

The controversy began after a social media post by Mrs Oshodi on August 31 alleged that her daughter had experienced difficulties while seeking treatment at the state-owned hospital. The Lagos State Ministry of Health subsequently investigated the complaint and said its findings differed from the account presented online, including the age of the patient.

According to the ministry, the patient, identified as Alimat Oshodi, is 21 years old and first presented at the hospital’s Mother and Child Centre on August 4 as an emergency case. Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, said she received emergency treatment under the Comprehensive Emergency Obstetrics and Newborn Care programme without her family being charged for the care.

The ministry said the emergency treatment was valued at ₦75,950 and that Alimat was discharged on August 11. She later returned to the hospital on August 27 for follow-up treatment and further medical investigations, during which the hospital’s Social Welfare Unit became involved because of her financial difficulties.

Abayomi explained that the Social Welfare Unit provided ₦5,000 on August 28 and another ₦13,000 on August 31 to assist with her care. The patient also contributed ₦10,000, while the government’s total assistance was put at ₦93,950.

The main disagreement, according to the government, involved the ₦13,000 payment made through a Point-of-Sale terminal. The ministry said Alimat requested that the money be refunded after an NGO offered to cover the cost of her medical investigation. However, she was reportedly informed that funds provided through the hospital’s Social Welfare support could not be refunded at the payment point because of existing procedures.

The Health Commissioner said the investigation found that Lagos State’s social protection mechanisms were applied during the patient’s treatment to prevent her financial situation from becoming an obstacle to accessing necessary healthcare. These mechanisms include the Lagos State Social Health Insurance Programme, hospital-based Social Welfare assistance and the CEmONC programme for eligible vulnerable patients.

The state government therefore rejected the suggestion that Randle General Hospital deliberately delayed the patient’s treatment or attempted to obtain money from her through extortion. Abayomi maintained that the available welfare and emergency healthcare systems provided support when the patient required medical attention.

Beyond the particular case, the ministry said it was taking additional measures to strengthen payment processes in public hospitals. These include the rollout of the Smart Health Information Platform and regular audits of fee-collection practices, which the government said are intended to improve transparency and reduce problems associated with hospital payments.

The Lagos State Government reaffirmed that financial hardship should not prevent residents from receiving emergency medical care. It also said the outcome of the investigation demonstrated the role of existing social-health protection programmes in assisting vulnerable patients who may otherwise struggle to meet healthcare costs.