Olayiwola Matthew
A heart-wrenching case of alleged medical negligence leading to the tragic death of a newborn alongside baby swapping has sparked outrage at Gbagada General Hospital, Lagos, leaving a grieving family devastated and demanding justice.
An X (formally Twitter) user, who identified herself as the baby’s aunt, shared a detailed account of the ordeal on the platform, alleging gross misconduct by the hospital staff with pictures to back-up her allegations.
The ordeal, according to the fellow with @Aggie_lawlaah handle, detailed how her sister (the baby’s mother) was admitted on Sunday, December 1, 2024 after her amniotic sac broke and how despite undergoing examinations and a scan, the medical staff failed to provide timely intervention.
She stated that the staff were dismissive and communicated rudely to them throughout the ordeal, noting that the mother-to-be was induced into labour on Tuesday, December 3.
The baby, she said, was born struggling to breathe, and was admitted to the Neonatal Unit (NNU) of the hospital.
According to her, the family was not allowed to see the baby, and a mix-up occurred when test forms were issued under a wrong name and later on Thursday, December 5, they were informed of the baby’s passing, hours after emergency occurred.
However, when claiming the baby’s body from the morgue, the family discovered they had been given the wrong child to bury.
“We experienced gross negligence, lack of professionalism, and a complete disregard for human dignity. Gbagada General Hospital swapped my sister’s baby.
“Our baby is Okolie’s baby, but we were handed Adefisan’s baby to bury.” she wrote, calling for accountability and the return of the actual baby.
The incident has sparked outrage on X, with the family seeking public support to demand justice and closure for the grieving mother, whose first child was involved in the tragic mishap.
A user identified as @iam_Olanmanuel under the comment section backed–up the claim as he accused the hospital of negligence that led to the death of another infant in the past.
“Today is a sad day that I don’t ever wish to happen to anyone. I lost my nephew, a two-day-old baby due to negligence by @GH_Gbagada and we were told to take it as an act of God. My sister was bullied by the doctor and induced into early labour,” he wrote.
Another @Comeback_snarky wrote: “Medical Ethics and Standard of care are ignored. Everyone has a story or three to share about the Nigeria medical scene.
“I know they will be held accountable one day, when Nigeria starts to get better. Many hospital people will go to jail and pay heavy fines. The rest will learn.’’
@samwellsg advised Nigerians who value their lives to make use of private hospitals rather than government owned facilities.
“Anyone who values their life would go to a private hospital rather than the government own,” he wrote.
But the Medical Director, Gbagada General Hospital, Lagos, Dr Olusegun Babafemi said that no baby swapping occurred and that the hospital is offering to sponsor a DNA test to resolve the issue.
According to Babafemi, the father identified the body immediately after the baby’s death and confirmed it was his child.
He stated that the family later questioned whether the body they were given was their child, prompting accusations of baby swapping.
He emphasised that the hospital had made every effort to save the baby and rejected accusations of negligence or unprofessional conduct during the mother’s treatment.
Babafemi, who refuted the allegations, said: “We resuscitated and put the baby on every resuscitative measure. Immediately the baby died, the father that was there was shown the corpse and the father recognised the baby.”
The MD stated that the hospital has a history of successfully handling high-risk cases, including the care of quadruplets and premature babies, as evidence of its professionalism and capability.
He also insisted that there was no negligence and that the hospital management will continue discussions with the family, adding that a DNA test is the best course of action to clear up the confusion and establish that there was no baby swap at all.