Patient Was 21, Not 13, and Received Lifesaving Treatment for Free—Lagos Health Ministry Debunks Social Media Extortion Claims

Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.

The Lagos State Government has decisively cleared Randle General Hospital of allegations of extortion and deliberate service delay, revealing that the facility provided free emergency care and financial support valued at N93,950 to a 21-year-old patient, not a 13-year-old as her mother had claimed in a viral social media post. The controversy erupted on August 31, 2026, when Mrs. Oshodi took to social media to allege that hospital officials at Randle General Hospital in Surulere had delayed treatment and attempted to extort money from her vulnerable daughter, whom she claimed was a 13-year-old in urgent need of medical attention. The post quickly gained traction, prompting the Lagos State Ministry of Health to launch an immediate investigation into the matter.

Following its inquiry, the Ministry, in a statement signed on Thursday, September 3, 2026, by the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, established that the patient, identified as Alimat Oshodi, is actually 21 years old and not a minor. The investigation revealed that she first presented at the hospital's Mother and Child Centre on August 4, 2026, as an emergency case requiring immediate medical intervention. She received lifesaving emergency care under the Comprehensive Emergency Obstetrics and Newborn Care (CEmONC) programme at no cost to her family and was discharged on August 11, 2026. The initial value of the emergency care provided free of charge was put at N75,950.

The patient returned to the hospital on August 27, 2026, for follow-up treatment and further investigations. Due to her ongoing financial constraints, the hospital's Social Welfare Unit stepped in, providing N5,000 on August 28 and an additional N13,000 on August 31, bringing the additional welfare support to N18,000. The patient herself contributed N10,000 towards her subsequent care, while the total value of government assistance provided to her reached N93,950. The ministry clarified that the dispute surrounding a Point-of-Sale (POS) transaction arose after the patient requested a refund of the N13,000 that had already been paid on her behalf by the Hospital Welfare Fund. She explained that an NGO had offered to cover the cost and therefore wanted the money back. She was informed that Social Welfare payments could not be refunded at the Paypoint in accordance with established procedure.

Commissioner Abayomi emphasised that the investigation confirmed that Lagos State's social health protection mechanisms, including Ilera Eko, hospital-based social welfare support, and the CEmONC programme, functioned as intended to ensure that financial constraints did not prevent the patient from accessing necessary care. He stressed that the state's social safety nets had provided timely, no-cost support when the patient required lifesaving intervention. The ministry is currently deploying the Smart Health Information Platform (SHIP) across public health institutions and conducting routine audits to streamline revenue collection and enhance transparent payment systems. The Lagos State Government firmly rejected the social media narrative suggesting that a government hospital attempted to delay treatment or extort money from a vulnerable patient.

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