By: Ganiyu Olayinka
The Lagos State Ministry of Health has dismissed allegations that officials at Randle General Hospital delayed treatment for a vulnerable patient and attempted to extort money from her, stating that the woman who raised the alarm also misstated her daughter’s age.
In a statement signed by the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, on Thursday, the ministry said its investigation found that the patient, Alimat Oshodi, is actually 21 years old, contrary to a viral social media post claiming she was 13.
According to the ministry, Alimat first presented at the hospital’s Mother and Child Centre on 4 August 2026 as an emergency case requiring immediate medical attention. She received emergency care under the Comprehensive Emergency Obstetrics and Newborn Care programme at no cost to her family and was discharged on 11 August.
“The initial value of the emergency care provided was ₦75,950, free of charge,” the statement said.
The ministry added that Alimat returned to the hospital on 27 August for follow-up care and further investigations. In response, the hospital’s Social Welfare Unit provided ₦5,000 on 28 August and an additional ₦13,000 on 31 August to support the cost of those investigations. The patient herself contributed ₦10,000, bringing the total state assistance to ₦93,950.
Addressing the controversy surrounding a disputed Point of Sale (POS) transaction, the ministry explained that the patient had sought a refund of the ₦13,000 already disbursed on her behalf by the Hospital Welfare Fund, after an NGO offered to cover the cost instead.
“She was informed that Social Welfare payments could not be refunded at the Paypoint in accordance with established procedure,” the ministry said.
The ministry maintained that the case illustrated how the state’s social health protection mechanisms function to ensure patients are not denied care due to financial hardship, citing programmes such as Ilera Eko, hospital-based Social Welfare support, and the Comprehensive Emergency Obstetrics and Newborn Care initiative.
“This investigation has established the facts surrounding the incident and confirms that the State’s social health protection mechanisms work seamlessly and, in this case, provide timely support at no cost to the patient when she required emergency care to the tune of ₦93,950,” Abayomi said.
He noted that the findings contradicted the narrative pushed by the viral post, which suggested a Lagos State government hospital had tried to delay care and extort a vulnerable patient.
The controversy first emerged after Mrs Oshodi shared a social media post alleging that hospital staff delayed treatment and demanded payment for her daughter, whom she claimed was 13 and in urgent need of medical care. The post gained widespread attention online, prompting the ministry’s investigation, which according to officials, confirmed the patient was 21 and had in fact received both emergency treatment and ongoing financial support from the state.
The ministry also said it was working to improve payment processes across public hospitals through the rollout of its Smart Health Information Platform, alongside regular audits of fee collection practices.
Separately, the Lagos State Sports Commission has intervened in a related matter involving Mrs Oshodi’s daughter, Mariam Oshodi, a young squash player who missed a tournament after her mother alleged that officials from a local government area locked up the shop where her daughter’s sports equipment was stored.
The Director-General of the commission, Lekan Fatodu, met with Mrs Oshodi and Mariam on Wednesday, following a viral video in which the mother expressed frustration that her daughter had been unable to participate in a regional tournament as a result.
Mariam, who represents Lagos State in the U-15 squash category, reportedly could not retrieve her racket after officials of the Surulere Local Government locked the shop where it was kept. According to her mother, the officials typically cite environmental concerns for such actions, despite the family’s efforts to maintain the surroundings.
In the viral TikTok video, the mother referred to in the report as Kafayat alleged that while she was away, her daughter had taken some of her competition medals to the local government office in a bid to convince officials to grant access to the shop, but was still turned away.
Responding to the situation, Fatodu assured the family that the commission would engage directly with the local government to prevent similar incidents in future. He also outlined plans for broader measures, including strengthening policy frameworks, improving communication channels between the commission, parents and young athletes, and raising awareness among relevant government agencies about the need to protect emerging sporting talent.