Management kicks as man blames hospital for wife’s death

A former photojournalist, Sam Adeko, has blamed Ikorodu General Hospital for the death of his wife, Adejoke.

Adeko had accused the management of the hospital of gross medical negligence and inhumane treatment of his wife under it care.

But the hospital denied the allegation, saying it was not responsible for Adeko’s wife’s death.

Adejoke, 62, was admitted to the emergency ward of the hospital in April 15 after sustaining an injury to her left foot.

Adeko said his wife was taken to the hospital after she fell into a ditch and injured one of her toes.

He alleged that a doctor at the hospital amputated his wife’s toe without consultation or consent from him, the children, or any member of the family.

Adeko further alleged that her wife’s condition deteriorated after the procedure, as the toe began to decay, allegedly due to poor post-operative care and lack of timely medical intervention from the hospital staff.

He said his wife died on Sunday, following her deteriorated condition.

Adeko described the hospital’s handling of his wife’s case as “careless and inhumane.”

The widower expressed anger and heartbreak, saying, “The hospital is responsible for my wife’s death. I want them investigated for this because after cutting off my wife’s toe without our approval, they stopped attending to her and this made her condition to deteriorate.

“They abandoned her after the surgery for four days; it was at this point the leg started decaying and smelling. They refused to take care of her despite our complaints and protest

They performed the procedure on Friday, but brought forms to seek her consent on Monday, that is highly irresponsible of the hospital. I want justice for my wife’s death. They have rendered my children motherless and this is not fair.”

However, the management of the hospital denied any wrongdoing in the treatment of the deceased, insisting that all medical decisions were made with the consent of the patient and in line with standard medical protocols.

In the statement signed by its Deputy Director of Public Affairs, Yekini Olasheni, the hospital clarified that the woman was admitted with a foot injury complicated by “underlying chronic medical conditions and unsupervised pre-admission home care.”

The hospital maintained that the deceased received comprehensive evaluation and treatment by a multidisciplinary team, adding that all procedures, including a surgical intervention to prevent further complications, were performed only after both verbal and written consent from the patient.

The statement read partly, “From the second day of admission, the patient’s relatives failed to provide prescribed medications and approve needed investigations despite multiple efforts by hospital staff to engage them. The patient herself only disclosed possible financial constraints after over a week of admission.

“Due to the progressive nature of her condition, and in line with our emergency care protocols, a procedure was performed to prevent further complications. This was carried out with verbal and written consent from the patient. No procedure was done without her explicit approval.

“Contrary to claims, the patient’s relatives were never denied access. However, on several critical occasions, no family member was present when medical teams needed to confer or provide updates.

“Mrs. Adeko is a fully autonomous adult with full mental capacity. At no time was her decision-making ability compromised. She retained the right to choose or refuse treatment throughout her stay.  All treatment options, potential risks, and consequences of non-treatment were explained in clear terms to her. She consented to every procedure performed and remained actively involved in her care decisions.”

Speaking further, the hospital said it maintained a robust feedback and grievance resolution system, with timely response protocols.

It stated that Adeko’s allegation regarding ignored complaints was false.

“On May 7, 2025, a definitive surgical intervention was proposed to the patient to address her worsening condition, but she voluntarily declined. The patient discharged herself against medical advice on May 7, 2025, in line with established medical protocols,” the hospital said.