Lagos denies woman’s hospital delay, POS extortion claims

The Lagos State Ministry of Health has refuted claims that officials at Randle General Hospital delayed treatment and attempted to extort money from a vulnerable patient, Alimat Oshodi. The ministry's statement clarified that Oshodi is actually 21 years old, not 13 as initially claimed in a viral social media post. According to the investigation, Oshodi received emergency care at no cost under the Comprehensive Emergency Obstetrics and Newborn Care programme and was discharged on August 11.

The ministry also detailed the subsequent follow-up care and financial assistance provided, including contributions from the Hospital Welfare Fund and the patient herself. The controversy arose when Oshodi sought a refund of the ₦13,000 paid on her behalf after an NGO offered to cover the cost, but was informed that Social Welfare payments could not be refunded at the Paypoint.

The ministry emphasized that the state's social health protection mechanisms, including Ilera Eko, hospital-based Social Welfare support, and the Comprehensive Emergency Obstetrics and Newborn Care programme, ensured that financial difficulties did not prevent Oshodi from receiving necessary care.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.