Serious Outrage as Young Graduate Dies After Alleged Wrong Diagnosis by Lagos Hospital

A young graduate has died a really tragic death at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, after a wrong diagnosis.  

Controversy has arisen over the death of a 29-year-old graduate of the University of Bauchi, Kolawole Idowu, at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja.

Family members of the victim said although Kolawole died at LASUTH, they believed his condition was worsened by doctors at the Ikeja Medical Centre, a private facility on Allen Avenue, Ikeja.

Punch Metro gathered that Kolawole, who concluded his youth service in Lagos sometime in April, took ill a few days afterwards.

He was reported to have complained of “teary eyes and body pains” and had gone to the Ikeja Medical Centre, which was the family hospital. It was gathered that like other children of the family, he was born at the hospital.

After a doctor allegedly recommended some malaria drugs and later an eye drop, the situation was said to have worsened, leading to his admission to the hospital.

Our correspondent was told that the hospital later said he was manifesting signs of a mental illness and began treating him for “psychosis.”

When there was no improvement, the hospital was said to have referred him to LASUTH, where he went into a coma and later died at the Intensive Care Unit.

The victim’s brother, Kunle, told Punch Metro that his late brother’s medical condition was not handled properly at the medical centre, adding that he was given some injections which affected his health.

Kunle alleged that the injections made him to misbehave, saying anytime the effect of the injections wore off, he would regain his senses, run back home and beg to be taken away from the hospital.

He explained that when he (Kunle) observed that their maternal grandparents were adamant on keeping him (Kolawole) at the hospital, he challenged them and broke some property in the house, which led to his arrest and detention.

He said, “The illness started at the end of April, about a week after his youth service. I am a politician and I was running a campaign to become a councillor at that period. Kola complained that he had been having burning sensations all over his body and his eyes had been teary. I advised him to go for a lab test, but he said he would go to our family hospital. He went to the hospital where he was given an eye drop, which he started reacting adversely to.

“He went back to the medical centre and he was told that he had malaria. The doctor prescribed a malaria drug for him. However, he started reacting negatively again to the drug. That was when the doctor said he was having fits of delirium and showing signs of dementia.”

He explained that the doctor insisted on admitting Kolawole, but he objected, adding that the grandparents believed the doctor and supported the move.

On the first week of his admission, Kunle said he was not satisfied with his brother’s treatment, but the hospital assured him that Kolawole needed rest.

He noted that he became concerned when Kolawole’s friends, who also visited the hospital, made similar observations. He said he asked for the victim’s transfer to another hospital.