LASUTH Under Fire as Family Blames Hospital For Man’s Death

LASUTH Under Fire as Family Blames Alleged Emergency Delay for Lagos Man’s Death

The family of a 46-year-old Lagos resident, Olatunde Ojelabi, has called for an investigation into his death, alleging that delays in receiving emergency treatment at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) contributed to the deterioration of his condition.

Ojelabi was involved in a road accident on Sunday, September 6, 2026, while driving his family to church along Ijegun Road, Ikotun, Lagos.

According to his elder brother, a commercial tricycle, popularly known as Keke Marwa, suddenly swerved while attempting to pick up passengers, forcing Ojelabi to manoeuvre his vehicle and subsequently crash into a stationary vehicle.

The impact reportedly deployed the vehicle’s airbags, with the steering wheel striking Ojelabi in the face, particularly on the right side.

He was initially taken to a private hospital before being referred to LASUTH because of the severity of his injuries.

However, his brother, in a Facebook post on Thursday, alleged that Ojelabi arrived at the LASUTH Medical Emergency Unit before 9am but remained outside the emergency ward for several hours because there was reportedly no available bed.

He alleged that his brother did not receive the urgent medical attention the family expected from a tertiary healthcare facility for more than six hours.

The family claimed that Ojelabi subsequently began convulsing and suffered cardiac arrest before medical personnel intervened.

An emergency tracheostomy was later performed after the family gave consent, following which he was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit.

The family also raised concerns about what they described as the hospital’s handling of the emergency.

According to the deceased’s brother, relatives were asked to purchase a plastic bucket, towel and detergent to clean blood reportedly spilled on the floor.

He also alleged that he was directed to go to the ICU himself to ascertain whether a bed was available for his brother.
“At the ICU, we were informed that we would need to pay for the services of carers for an initial period of ten days,” he said.

The family further complained about what they described as inadequate communication concerning Ojelabi’s treatment.

The brother alleged that relatives were asked to purchase medications costing millions of naira and pay for several investigations without receiving sufficient explanations about some of the medications or the overall treatment strategy.

He eventually sought the intervention of a senior LASUTH doctor, who briefed him and Ojelabi’s wife about the patient’s condition and the interventions and investigations carried out.

The doctor reportedly described Ojelabi as “still critically ill.”

Ojelabi remained unconscious and eventually died on September 12, six days after the accident. His 46th birthday was September 7, one day after the crash.

Following his death, the family demanded a formal investigation into the circumstances surrounding his treatment and death.

Among other things, the family wants authorities to establish whether Ojelabi was properly assessed and triaged upon arrival at LASUTH, what emergency protocols were activated and whether any delay in treatment contributed to the subsequent deterioration of his condition.

They also want clarification on whether appropriate trauma and neurological assessments were conducted promptly and whether the family received adequate information about his condition and treatment plan.

The deceased’s brother appealed to the Lagos State Government, LASUTH management and relevant healthcare regulators to investigate the matter.

“If mistakes were made, they must be acknowledged. If procedures were not followed, those responsible must be held accountable. And if the system itself is inadequate, it must be fixed,” he said.
As of press time, efforts to obtain a response from LASUTH management to the allegations had been unsuccessful.