A private hospital located in Iwerekun 1, Ibeju/Lekki, Lagos, As Salam Convalescent Centre, has denied claims that it demanded an upfront payment of ₦500,000 before treating a pregnant woman, Kemi, who later died from complications related to her pregnancy.

Kemi’s husband, Akinbobola Folajimi, made the allegations in a viral video, accusing the hospital of refusing to provide medical treatment to his wife due to his inability to make the upfront payment. In the video, Folajimi is seen desperately trying to keep his wife conscious as she lay weak inside a car.

In his emotional post, Folajimi recounted the tragic events that led to his wife’s death. He claimed that after being turned away by the private hospital, they were referred to a general hospital in Epe, where Kemi passed away.

He stated, “The doctor told me to deposit ₦500,000, and I begged him to start doing whatever was needed to save my wife while I ran around for the money. But they drove us out like they didn’t care. Unfortunately, they blindly rejected us and asked me to take her to the General Hospital at Epe, even though the doctor knew that Epe from Lakwe is way too far for her condition. Before we rushed her to Epe, she was gone.”

Folajimi’s emotional video sparked widespread condemnation, with many demanding reforms to ensure medical institutions are held accountable for such alleged neglect.

However, in a telephone interview with Punch on Thursday, the founder of As Salam Convalescent Centre, Rauf Salami, denied the allegations. He stated that the hospital never demanded any payment and that the primary concern was the patient’s critical condition.

Salami explained, “On the day in question, a pregnant woman was brought to our centre. My colleague on duty reported that she had convulsed twice at home before arrival. Upon examination, it was clear that she required immediate blood transfusion and surgical attention. Given the complexity of the case, we advised the husband to take her to the Epe General Hospital, which is better equipped to handle such emergencies.”

Salami further clarified that Kemi was not a registered patient at the hospital and had never visited the facility before the day of the incident.

“We referred her to a more suitable facility immediately after she was brought in, without even transferring her from the wheelchair used to bring her in,” Salami stated.

He also expressed his frustration over the false claims made by the woman’s husband on social media, particularly on TikTok.

Addressing the backlash, Salami expressed frustration over the allegations, stating, “Going by the reactions to what happened, it may frustrate one to the point of contemplating suicide because it was deeply frustrating. But that notwithstanding, people have been telling me to sue him. I could do that because I have my evidence.”

He reiterated that Kemi’s condition was critical upon arrival and that the hospital lacked the resources to handle her case.

Salami said, “The woman was not registered in the hospital. We didn’t know her. When they brought her in, we discovered it was something we could not handle. If we had given her just one drip that day, she could have died because there was no blood left in her body.”

Salami speculated that Kemi might not have been receiving proper antenatal care before the incident, stating, “I don’t think the woman was registered in any hospital because if she had been receiving treatment during her antenatal period, she wouldn’t have been in that condition.”

Despite the controversy surrounding the incident, Salami concluded by placing his trust in God, saying, “I am a Muslim, and whatever comes a Muslim’s way, the best thing to say is ‘Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un’ (Indeed, to Allah we belong, and to Him we shall return).”

He also expressed confidence that the community members who have used his hospital’s services will help restore his integrity.

Nollywood actress, Omotunde Adebowale David, popularly known as Lolo 1, has stated that Nigerians facing difficulties abroad would rather continue with the hardship than return to Nigeria.

Sharing her concern in a recent interview on News Central, Lolo 1 emphasised how Nigerians are willing to endure hardships in foreign countries due to the lack of basic amenities and opportunities in their home country.

The thespian lamented that despite difficult living conditions abroad, Nigerians prefer to stay due to access to reliable electricity, good roads and functional transportation systems, which are often lacking in Nigeria.

She criticised leaders for failing to provide a better quality of life for its citizens, forcing them to seek alternatives abroad.

Lolo 1 highlighted the irony of Nigerians contributing to the development of foreign countries while struggling on their own.

She wrote: “I feel bad for Nigerians, I feel bad because are the facts not glaring? I don’t know much about data but the data is literally in your face. It shows that we are making the lives of foreign countries easier.

“People would rather suffer there and pay high school fees than be here and have relative ease. There are some people abroad that whose living conditions are so terrible and degrading but they would rather stay there managing because at least they are managing where there is constant electricity.

“They are managing but the roads are pliable. They are managing but at least they can still find transportation. But look at us here, if you enter a bus and people see you, they attribute your life to poverty and that’s not true. I don’t want to drive every day, but look at what is happening in the county. Even feeding is expensive here”.