Concern has mounted among the relatives of a 42-year-old man, Kehinde Albert, who has been missing since February 27 after leaving the General Hospital Gbagada.
PUNCH Metro gathered that Albert had been at the hospital for medical checks before he suddenly disappeared, leaving his family worried about his whereabouts.
In a telephone interview with our correspondent on Tuesday, the missing man’s elder brother, Olatunde Albert, disclosed that Kehinde had long struggled with alcoholism and was being prepared to enrol in a rehabilitation programme that required him to undergo medical screening.
Olatunde said he accompanied Kehinde and his twin brother to the hospital on February 26 for the preliminary tests required for the rehabilitation process.
“I took him to the hospital with his twin brother because we wanted him to begin a rehabilitation programme for alcoholism.
The rehabilitation centre advised that he should undergo some medical tests first,” he said.
He explained that Kehinde had not been in good health for some time, noting that the family had previously spent a significant amount on treatment at a private hospital about two years ago.
According to him, his condition deteriorated after their mother passed away last year.
“Our mother used to take care of them, but after her death, there was no one to keep an eye on him, and he went back to drinking.
When we later approached a rehabilitation centre, we were advised to run some medical tests,” he added.
Olatunde further said hospital staff informed him that Kehinde and his twin brother had earlier attempted to leave the hospital premises on several occasions but were stopped.
He said Kehinde eventually managed to leave unnoticed while staff members were reviewing their documents.
“That happened around 8 p.m. on Friday, February 27. Since that day, we have been searching everywhere for him,” he said.
Appealing for public assistance, he added that the family was deeply distressed over the development.
“We have already lost our mother. Kehinde is 42 years old, and we are begging anyone with useful information to help us locate him,” he said.
However, the Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Olusegun Babafemi, said the patient had been properly discharged after he and his twin brother insisted on leaving the facility despite medical advice.
Babafemi explained that Kehinde initially came to the hospital for tests but nearly collapsed while at the laboratory, prompting emergency intervention by medical personnel.
“He came for routine tests, but while he was at the laboratory, he almost collapsed.
The emergency team immediately attended to him and moved him to the emergency unit where he was revived,” he said.
He added that after his condition stabilised, his twin brother, Taiwo, insisted that they wanted to leave the hospital.
“The nurse informed him that further tests were still required and advised that Kehinde should also be seen by a cardiologist and a psychiatrist. However, the brother insisted they would not stay,” Babafemi explained.
The medical director said the twin brother later attempted to leave the hospital premises with Kehinde without proper authorisation.
According to him, a nurse raised the alarm when she noticed their attempt, prompting security personnel to pursue them and return them to the hospital.
Babafemi said hospital officials then informed them that they could leave if they signed a discharge form indicating their decision to leave against medical advice.
“They were told clearly that the hospital is not a detention facility and that if they wished to go, they should sign the discharge form. However, they declined to sign and insisted on leaving,” he said.
He also disclosed that hospital staff assisted them financially when it became clear they did not have enough money to complete the registration payment.
“I asked if it was because of the N1,000 fee that he wanted to leave. He said he had only N500.
Our Chief Security Officer then gave him the remaining N500 so he could complete the payment, and someone escorted him to make the payment,” Babafemi said.
He added that Kehinde was later discharged after completing the required process.
“About two hours after they left, the brother returned and reported that he could not find him.
Once a patient has been discharged, the hospital cannot be held responsible unless the patient is admitted to a ward,” he stated.
Babafemi added that the hospital had shared Kehinde’s photograph internally and advised the family to check locations he was known to visit.
“He might have gone to somewhere familiar,” he said.
