Doren Specialist Hospital has opened up on what happened at its facility during the last moment of the late Big Brother Naija star, Rico Swavey.
Gatekeeper News reports that Rico, born Patrick Fakoya, was involved in a ghastly motor accident and died on Thursday. Shortly after his death, a video emerged on his last moment while he was battling for his life at the hospital. The video was trailed by criticism as many called for an investigation of the hospital staff who allegedly filmed the video instead of trying to save Rico’s life.
Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, announced that the authorities had commenced an investigation.
“That hospital is not a government hospital; we have started an investigation into the unprofessional conduct of those who appeared in that video,” Omotoso said.
Also, Rico’s colleagues, Alex Asogwa and Bambam, called out the hospital, saying their friend’s treatment was delayed because of money.
“My God will punish these hospitals that take time to start working on people that are rushed to hospitals. I hate you all, You are all horrible. You’ve caused us so much pain all for what? What is money that you let lives go like these by stalling? I hate you. You all deserve hellfire! This hottest and most wicked corner,” Alex wrote via her Instagram story.
Also, Bambam said: “Shouldn’t hospitals care first and demand bills later? How on earth do you insist on money first before attending to a critical case or making videos then decide later? All those seconds wasted could have saved him. Dear God the human heart is desperately wicked. Are these healthcare professionals human? I pray they don’t become victims of their own kind.”
In it’s defense on Friday, the hospital released a statement titled ‘INCIDENCE REPORT ON AN RTA CASE BROUGHT TO DOREN SPECIALIST HOSPITAL ON TUESDAY 11TH OCTOBER, 2022 AT 1:45AM’.
The statement claimed that an “unknown patient” was brought in bleeding and “smelling of alcohol”, given first aid, and afterwards referred to Evercare hospital for “urgent neurosurgical review.”
The statement read in part, “Efforts were made to trace his family and one female friend of his (Miss Ify Helen Eze, phone no- 070**) came into the facility to see him. She and the good Samaritan who brought the patient were told of the severity of his condition, and the need of urgent neurosurgical review and also the need to be referred to Evercare hospital. Miss Ify Helen Eze fainted on seeing his condition and she had to be resuscitated
“A detailed referral letter was written and given to the relations. After an initial reluctance, they accepted the letter. But before leaving the two of them (Miss Ify and the Good Samaritan) decided to make a video to exonerate themselves from being implicated as being responsible for the patient’s condition. Most likely Miss Ify Helen Eze and her partner (Good Samaritan) are the people who videoed and posted on social media for reasons best known to them.
“Doren Nurses pleaded with them to help take the patient to the vehicle and stop videoing. At no point in time did a Doren staff video the patient or laugh. One of the nurses spoke in Hausa trying to persuade them to assist in moving the patient who has already been positioned on our stair chair ready to be moved to the vehicle. Instead, they kept videoing.
“The following morning, our nurses reached out to Miss Ify Helen Eze to find out about the current condition of the patient and we were told the patient was currently hospitalised and receiving care in Evercare Hospital. 72 hours after the referral from Doren Specialist Hospital, we were shocked to hear that the young man had passed on. Doren and its staff empathise with the family of the deceased.”
The hospital also noted that it is already cooperating with the Lagos State Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency to investigate the real source of the video.
