Boy With Missing Intestines: Group Calls For Independent Probe By MDCN, Says Lagos Assembly Panel Ignorant, Bias, Trying To Shield LASUTH

A socio-political organisation, Youths United for Fight Against Oppression (Y-U-FAO) has called on the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) to wade into the controversy over the case of the death of the boy with alleged missing intestines with a view to unravelling the truth.

According to the group, it is expedient on the MDCN to wade into the matter since it is the only agency empowered by law to investigate such matters involving medical profession.

These were some of the issues raised by the group in a press statement issued on Sunday, 24 September, 2023 over the issue. The press statement was signed by the duo of Comrade Adelani Adebosipo and Comrade Tina Izuchukwu, President and Publicity Secretary, respectively of the group.

Y-U-FAO expressed surprised that the Lagos State House of Assembly would call for the arrest of the doctor that did the surgery at the private, which showed the ignorance of the panel members on issues concerning medical profession.

"It's a surprise that the Lagos Assembly Panel which have no medical doctor as member will go on to present such a biased report," the statement said.

According to the group, the Assembly panel clearly displayed their intention to shield the management of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) from any culpability with the manner of questions they asked during the interrogation.

"While they allowed doctors from LASUTH to explain issues, they reduced the interrogation of the doctor to a 'Yes' or 'No' session.

"They even asked the LASUTH doctor who performed the surgery on the boy to interrogate the doctor from the private hospital.

"It was a sheer display of ignorance and bias at the interrogation session by the Assembly members," the group said.

According to the group, a similar panel set up by the state Ministry of Health through the supervising agency, HEFAMAA, which had a surgeon on seat confirmed that X-ray films taken while the patient was on admission at LASUTH showed presence of intestines in the patient.

The group accused the Lagos Assembly of witch-hunt and trying to use the doctor as a scapegoat noting that it would not allowed the doctor to be oppressed by abusive use of power.

Y-U-FAO stated further that, "we are calling on the MDCN to constitute a high powered probe panel of experienced medical professionals to look into these issues which the Lagos Assembly panel members ignorantly and deliberately chose to ignore

(1) Is it possible for a patient to survive for 28 days without intestines? The patient was admitted to LASUTH on 17 June, 2023 and the surgery on him was carried out on 14 July, 2023, a clear 28 days after admission. Is it possible for the patient to survive this long without intestines?

(2) Is it true that scan and X-ray were conducted on the patient on 19 June, 2023, at LASUTH? If yes, what is the result? 

(3) Constitutionally, is the Legislature empowered to set up probe panel on such matter?

(4) Professionally, even if they are empowered to do so, is it right for such panel not to have not a single medical professional as a member?

Y-U-FAO called on well meanings Nigerians to call on the Lagos Assembly to stop harassing the doctor with threat of arrest while also calling law enforcement agents to carry out their assignments within the purview of the law.