Margaret Mowalola Akinduntire, a 65-year-old woman, has died after the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) allegedly failed to carry out a life-saving surgery, with her family blaming the delay on negligence and procedural lapses. Her son claims the hospital initially postponed the surgery due to Ramadan and later refused to attend to her because her file went “missing.”
The case has drawn public outcry after a series of disturbing revelations, including a previous botched surgery in which a surgical needle was allegedly left inside her body following a kidney operation performed at LASUTH in 2013.
In an exclusive interview, her son recounted over a decade of painful experiences with the hospital, which he said ultimately led to his mother’s death on Wednesday at LASUTH’s Surgical Emergency Unit—still without receiving the critical surgery she needed.
Needle Left Inside During 2013 Surgery
According to him, trouble began in 2013 when his mother underwent surgery to remove her right kidney due to medical complications. A year later, while sitting at home, she felt a sharp object at the site of the previous surgery. When she returned to the hospital, doctors reportedly reopened the surgical site without anesthesia.
“They cut her open while she was fully conscious and in excruciating pain. What they found inside was shocking—a surgical needle from the 2013 operation,” he said.
Although the family initially considered legal action, they later dropped the case for undisclosed reasons.
*Fibroid Complications and Delayed Intervention
Years later, Akinduntire underwent a successful leg surgery, but her health issues resurfaced in 2024 when she was diagnosed with fibroids. LASUTH scheduled a surgical procedure to remove the growth, but her son said it led to complications in her abdominal region due to an alleged stitching error.
Following post-operative evaluations, the hospital ruled out cancer but confirmed the presence of serious internal complications requiring urgent surgical correction. However, the family claims LASUTH postponed the follow-up surgery due to the Ramadan fasting season.
“They told us the surgery would have to wait until after Ramadan,” her son said in disbelief. “I didn’t know Ramadan would stop a hospital from saving a dying patient.”
*Medical File “Goes Missing”
As her condition worsened, the family rushed her back to LASUTH where she was admitted to the surgical emergency ward. On the scheduled day of surgery, they were told her medical file could not be located, and without it, the hospital refused to proceed.
“My mum could barely walk or talk, and they said they wouldn’t attend to her because they couldn’t find her file. How does a major hospital lose a file for a critical patient?” he asked.
In desperation, the family moved her to a private hospital in Agege, where she received temporary stabilization through IV fluids and basic treatment.
*Social Media Uproar and Governor’s Intervention
The turning point came when the family turned to social media for help. His sister posted the ordeal on X (formerly Twitter), tagging the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu. The tweet gained traction, prompting the governor’s intervention.
“Shortly after the Governor got involved, LASUTH contacted us and suddenly ‘found’ her file,” the son said. “But it was already too late. We later learned from internal sources that the file had been intentionally withheld because hospital staff believed she wouldn’t survive and didn’t want to ‘waste their time.’”
*Final Days and Death
Despite being readmitted to LASUTH, Akinduntire never received the surgery. She died days later at the Surgical Emergency Unit, her family devastated and angry at what they describe as systemic neglect.
“They made no real attempt to save her. They gave up on her,” her son said.
LASUTH Denies Allegations
In response to the allegations, the hospital’s management denied any wrongdoing. Prof. Adetokunbo Fabamwo, LASUTH’s Chief Medical Director, described the family’s claims as “untrue and baseless.”
Another hospital official, Prof. Adebowale Adekoya, insisted that the deceased’s son had been kept fully informed throughout her treatment. He also denied that surgery was ever delayed due to Ramadan.
“We have records to show several surgeries that were carried out during Ramadan,” he said.
