The management of Abuja-based Nizamiye Hospital has denied claims that it refused to perform a critical medical procedure on a patient, Senator Ibrahim Musa Kontagora, over an alleged shortfall in payment, leading to the death of the former federal lawmaker.
The private health facility insisted that no surgery was scheduled on the patient and the hospital was not responsible for the advanced stem cell therapy that was recommended for him.
Senator Kontagora, who represented Niger North Senatorial District in the Senate from 2011 to 2015, died at the hospital after falling into a coma that lasted over a week.
The clarification was made by the Public Relations Officer of the Hospital, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, in a statement on Friday, while reacting to a report by an online medium (not LEADERSHIP) alleging that the hospital declined a life-saving surgery on the deceased because his family failed to pay the full $30,000 bill.
Abubakar explained that Senator Kontagora had already undergone a shunt procedure to relieve blood clotting and was never scheduled for another surgery at their facility.
“There was no surgery planned. The only procedure he had done here was a shunt, and that had been completed,” the hospital’s spokesman said. “What followed was only a doctor’s advice to try stem cell treatment, which we don’t even perform in-house.”
The hospital said the stem cell procedure was entirely external, typically coordinated with international medical professionals, and that the facility only connects interested families with the providers.
“We don’t do stem cell treatments here. It’s handled by specialists from abroad. The patient’s relatives even called yesterday asking if we could assist in contacting the specialists,” the representative added.
On the allegation of abandonment over partial payment for the treatment, the hospital dismissed the claim outrightly.
“There’s no record of any $15,000 payment for stem cell or any outstanding balance. In fact, the family still has funds left in the patient’s hospital account,” the hospital stated. “If anyone insists there was a pending surgery or payment issue, let them come forward with proof.”
The hospital stressed that no advance payment was demanded for any in-house surgery or treatment following the shunt procedure.
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