In
a recent article featured in The Punch Newspaper, Taiwo Sunmola, a machinist,
shared a heart-wrenching account during an interview with The Punch
correspondent. He recounted the tragic loss of his 71-year-old father, which
occurred merely three weeks after the passing of his elder sister. According
to Taiwo Sunmola, his father's deteriorating health was attributed to what he
perceived as neglect within certain government healthcare facilities in Lagos
State.
Taiwo Sunmola, a 35-year-old originally hailing
from Odogbolu in Ogun State but currently residing in Port Harcourt, Rivers
State, where he is employed, recounted the events, saying, "I am Taiwo
Sunmola, and on Thursday, August 24, upon my arrival in Lagos State, I paid a
visit to my father, Mudashiru Sunmola. It was evident that he was grappling
with insomnia and appeared visibly distressed throughout the day. Concerned
about his well-being, I decided to take proactive measures by escorting him to
a pharmacy equipped with a laboratory section for a comprehensive examination.
Following the evaluation, a pharmacist recommended specific medications to
alleviate his condition."
Taiwo Sunmola elaborated that, initially, his
father showed positive responses to the prescribed treatment regimen. However,
the situation took a drastic turn for the worse on Monday, August 28th,
prompting them to make a hasty trip to a hospital for immediate medical
attention.
He further recounted, "Our first choice was
Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), but to our dismay, the medical
staff declined to admit my father. They expressed concerns that we might not be
able to afford the specialized reservations, which came at a steep cost of
$450, primarily due to the lack of available space."
Taiwo Sunmola went on to disclose that they
faced similar rejections when seeking admission at Lagos University Teaching
Hospital, Idi-Araba, which marked the fifth government hospital they approached
in their desperate search for care. Unfortunately, his father's health took a
dire turn around 1 pm that fateful Monday, ultimately resulting in his untimely
passing, primarily due to the unavailability of a hospital bed.
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