Lagos denies woman’s hospital delay, POS extortion claims

Lagos State’s Ministry of Health has rejected claims that Randle General Hospital delayed treatment and tried to extort money from a vulnerable patient, saying an investigation found that the patient was 21, not 13 as stated in a viral social media post.

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The initial value of the emergency care provided was ₦75,950, free of charge.

The ministry said Alimat Oshodi first went to the hospital’s Mother and Child Centre on August 4, 2026, as an emergency case. It said she received life-saving care under the Comprehensive Emergency Obstetrics and Newborn Care programme without charge and was discharged on August 11. The initial cost of the emergency treatment was ₦75,950.

Oshodi returned for follow-up care and investigations on August 27. The hospital’s Social Welfare Unit provided ₦5,000 on August 28 and ₦13,000 on August 31 for further investigations. Oshodi contributed ₦10,000, while total state assistance reached ₦93,950, according to the ministry.

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She was informed that Social Welfare payments could not be refunded at the Paypoint in accordance with established procedure.

The ministry said the controversy centered on a Point of Sale transaction. Oshodi sought a refund of the ₦13,000 after an NGO offered to cover the cost, but officials told her that payments made through Social Welfare could not be refunded at the Paypoint under established procedure. Health Commissioner Akin Abayomi said the findings contradicted the impression that a state hospital had delayed care or demanded money from a vulnerable patient.

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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.