A private hospital in the Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos State has denied refusing to treat a pregnant woman, Kemi, due to her husband’s inability to make an immediate deposit of ₦500,000 amid intense public scrutiny.
TheNewsGuru reports that Kemi’s husband, Akinbobola Folajimi, in a viral video, accused the hospital of refusing to provide medical treatment to his wife due to his inability to make the upfront payment. In the video, Folajimi is seen desperately trying to keep his wife conscious as she lay weak inside a car.
“My goodness, Kemi, look at me. Stay strong; look at me. Think about your kids, please. You need to be very strong for me,” Folajimi says emotionally in the clip.
In a follow-up post, Folajimi recounted that after being turned away, the hospital referred them to the General Hospital in Epe—a distance he said was too far for his wife’s critical condition. She reportedly passed away en route.
“The doctor told me to deposit ₦500,000. I begged him to start treatment while I went to get the money, but they refused and sent us away. Before we reached Epe General Hospital, she was gone,” he wrote.
However, speaking in a telephone interview, the founder of As Salam Convalescent Centre, Rauf Salami, denied the allegations, stating that the hospital never demanded any payment and that the primary concern was the patient’s critical condition.
Salami explained, “On the day in question, a pregnant woman was brought to our centre. My colleague on duty reported that she had convulsed twice at home before arrival. Upon examination, it was clear that she required immediate blood transfusion and surgical attention. Given the complexity of the case, we advised the husband to take her to the Epe General Hospital, which is better equipped to handle such emergencies.”
The founder further noted that Kemi was not a registered patient at the hospital and had never visited the facility before the day of the incident.
“We referred her to a more suitable facility immediately after she was brought in, without even transferring her from the wheelchair used to bring her in,” Salami stated.
He also expressed his frustration over the false claims made by the woman’s husband on social media, particularly on TikTok.
Addressing the backlash, Salami expressed frustration over the allegations, stating, “Going by the reactions to what happened, it may frustrate one to the point of contemplating suicide because it was deeply frustrating. But that notwithstanding, people have been telling me to sue him. I could do that because I have my evidence.”