-Culprits will be punished -Lawmakers
.Demand immediate arrest of doctor who performed surgery
Adebola Akin-Bright, whose intestines went missing in the process of surgery, has passed away.
It was learnt that he died on Tuesday evening.
A source close to the family of the deceased told The Punch that he developed complications and was rushed to the intensive care unit of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital where he was thereafter pronounced dead.
The Lagos State House of Assembly had earlier on Tuesday called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to direct the Ministry of Health to release funds for the overseas treatment of boy.
Meanwhile, The Lagos State House of Assembly on Tuesday called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to direct the Ministry of Health to release funds for the overseas treatment of Adebola Akin-Bright, whose intestines got missing in the process of surgery.
The House also commisserated with the family, friends and fans of Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, better known as Mohbad, a young Nigerian Aftobeat musician, whose mysterious death has caused reactions across Nigeria and other countries.
Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, while presiding over the day’s plenary, moved that Master Akin-Bright needed the urgent treatment abroad.
Dr. Obasa and the House also called for the immediate arrest of the doctor of the private hospital, Obitoks Medical Centre in the Alimosho area of the state, who performed the initial surgery that led to the missing small intestine while investigations continue.
The Speaker’s position followed a preliminary report by the Majority Leader, Hon. Noheem Adams, who briefed the House on the findings of a five-man ad-hoc committee created to investigate the circumstances that led to the disappearance of the boy’s intestine.
Giving the preliminary report, Hon. Adams said members of the ad-hoc committee visited the boy at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) on Tuesday.
Adams, who chairs the committee, said that the full report would soon be presented, adding that some shocking discoveries were made in the course of its investigations.
“We made some shocking discoveries in the course of our investigation. The incident is very unusual, but we want the boy to survive and we know Mr. Speaker is very interested in his survival too.
“We went to LASUTH on the directives of the Speaker, Rt. Hon Mudashiru Obasa, to find out the health status of Adebola Akin-Bright.
“The hospital told us that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had taken care of the bill for his treatment at LASUTH.
Adams, however, said they were told by the hospital that Akin-Bright needed to be transferred urgently to either the United States of America or United Kingdom for an intestine transplant and that communications were ongoing with hospitals in the two countries.
In his contribution, Hon. Temitope Adewale, another member of the committee, said the patient’s health was deteriorating and that urgent steps needed to be taken.
“He is now given GMO nutrient and there is the urgent need to take him abroad.
“Mr. Speaker, you have given this boy the opportunity to survive by setting up the committee,” he said.
Meanwhile, the House has thrown its weight behind the investigation by the police into Mohbad’s death.
The Speaker, while commending the Governor for also inviting the Department of State Services (DSS) into the issue, directed the Clerk of the House, Barrister Olalekan Onafeko, to write the Lagos Police Command and the DSS intimating them that the House supports the investigation and expect justice for the bereaved family.
Obasa also urged fans of Mohbad to be patient and continue to act with decorum while the investigation continues.
Meanwhile, The Lagos State House of Assembly on Tuesday said some shocking discoveries were made in the course of its investigations overthe case of the missing intestine of Adebola Akin-Bright, noting that anyone that is found culpable would be prosecuted in due course.
Speaking with journalists during the visit by the members of the Ad-hoc committee of the House to the boy at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, its Chairman, Hon Noheem Adams, said that the report of the Committee would soon be made public.
The Chairman who is the Leader of the House disclosed that some shocking discoveries were made in the course of its investigations.
He said, “We came to LASUTH on the directives of the Speaker, Rt. Hon Mudashiru Obasa, to see the health status of Adebola Akin-Bright.
“We want to thank Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu because we heard that he has been calling to know the status of the boy, apart from providing money for his care.
“A committee was setup by the Assembly to investigate the incident and the mother alleged that the intestine was missing. We made some shocking discoveries in the course of our investigation, but we will not make these known until we complete investigations.
“We discovered also some unusual things in the process, we will make them public for the whole world to see when we complete our investigations.
“The incident is very unusual, but we want the boy to survive and Mr Speaker is very interested in his survival too,” he said.
Adams stressed that the assembly wants the boy to have a brighter future as his name is bright, and thanked the Speaker of the House for showing interest in the boy.
The lawmaker also thanked the Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, the Chief Medical Director of LASUTH, Dr. Williams, the certified surgeon that has been taking care of the boy, who he said told the committee that there is a little improvement in his condition.
He however, expressed worry over the condition of the boy, and said that “anybody that is found culpable on the matter would be prosecuted.”
Also commenting, Professor Akin Abayomi, thanked Speaker Obasa for setting up the Committee, saying that they have had a series of interactions on the boy and are gathering the necessary information on the incident.
“I want to also thank the Chief Medical Director of the hospital because if not for for their efforts the boy would not have survived till today, which is why we can still talk about him.
“We have a situation where he is stable, but he cannot absorb his own food and that is why he is being fed with artificial food.
“He has a good team around him and he is doing well. I also want to thank the Governor for all the support he has been giving us so that we can do all that we can do as human beings and as professionals to save Akin-Bright, but there are limitations to what we can do,” he said.
The surgeon in-charge of the boy’s treatment, Professor Adetokunbo Fabanwo, told journalists that all hands have been on deck to save him, and stressed that as a tertiary hospital, they have a lot of experts, including pedeatricians, who he said look after children, those that look after the heart, kidney and others, adding that everybody is involved in Akin-Bright’s case.
He said; “As we speak, the condition of the boy is stable, though we are spending a lot of money to keep him alive. Mr Governor has been very magnanimous to provide the funding.
“The Committee Chairman has told you that there are things to be done in definitive terms, but that would be discussed at a higher level,” he said.
Adebola’s mother, Mrs Deborah Akin-Bright, in her comments, expressed her appreciation to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Speaker of the House, Rt Hon. Obasa as well as all the doctors that have been treating the boy.
“Everything has changed since the visit of the Governor and all hands have been on deck to ensure that Adebola survives.
“I am hopeful that he will survive. I want to thank the Governor, and Speaker Obasa. I am so grateful that they rose to attend to Adebola’s case. I was losing hope at the initial stage, but now I want to thank them for their support,” she said.
