The Lagos State Ministry of Health has completed its inquiry into a patient-care issue involving Mrs. Oshodi and her daughter at Randle General Hospital, following a social media post made on August 31, 2026.
In a statement released on Thursday by Health Commissioner Prof. Akin Abayomi, the investigation revealed that the patient, Alimat Oshodi, is actually 21 years old, not the 13 years claimed by her mother.
The ministry reported that Alimat was admitted to the hospital’s Mother and Child Centre on August 4 as an emergency case requiring urgent medical attention. She received life-saving emergency treatment under the Comprehensive Emergency Obstetrics and Newborn Care (CEmONC) program, free of charge, and was discharged on August 11. The cost of her initial emergency care was estimated at ₦75,950.
Additionally, Alimat revisited the hospital on August 27 for follow-up care, during which the hospital’s Social Welfare Unit provided her with ₦5,000 on August 28 and another ₦13,000 on August 31 to assist with further investigations. This brought the total support from the government to ₦93,950, while the patient contributed ₦10,000 toward her ongoing care.
The ministry noted that a disagreement arose regarding a Point-of-Sale (POS) transaction when the patient sought a refund of the ₦13,000 that was paid on her behalf via the Hospital Welfare Fund after an NGO offered to cover those costs. She was informed that refunds for payments made through the Social Welfare system are not allowed at the hospital’s Paypoint as per standard procedures.
Commissioner Abayomi indicated that the investigation confirmed the implementation of Lagos State’s social health protection systems in this case, ensuring that financial issues did not obstruct the patient’s access to necessary medical care.
These systems include the Ilera Eko social health insurance program, hospital-based social welfare support for patients unable to afford emergency services, and the CEmONC program, which offers emergency obstetric and newborn care for qualified vulnerable patients through the National Health Insurance Authority.
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He further mentioned that the ministry is enhancing payment processes in public hospitals with the introduction of the Smart Health Information Platform and regular audits of fee collection methods. The investigation clarified the circumstances surrounding the incident, showing that the state’s social health protection mechanisms efficiently aided the patient.
The Commissioner rejected the notion suggested by the social media post that the government hospital sought to delay treatment or exploit a vulnerable patient.
