Alfred Ogene, a Lagos resident, has filed a formal legal claim against R-Jolad Hospital Nigeria Limited, alleging gross medical negligence.
According to the claim, the alleged negligence resulted in permanent damage to his urinary system and has caused him severe physical injuries as well as psychological trauma.
Ogene, who is also a Consultant Architect, wrote through his solicitors, Nojim Tairu & Co. Legal Practitioners, in a memorandum signed by Joseph Aborisade.
He alleged that he was admitted to the hospital in the early hours of November 15, 2025, for treatment of partial paralysis following a stroke.
Ogene said a urinary catheter was inserted to assist his urination, but complications quickly arose.
“In the early hours of 16th November 2025, our client noticed that while he urinated, part of the urine went into the Catheter Bag while the rest spilled over his body, which situation he drew to the attention of another Doctor on duty at that moment. A nurse, Nurse Oseni, then came to remove the initial Catheter and inserted another one.
“About two hours after the new catheter was inserted, our client started feeling pains in his groin area and immediately called the attention of the nurse in attendance, Nurse Elizabeth, to his condition. The nurse came to our client and checked the catheter, but stated that it was normal, despite our client’s complaint of severe pains,” the memorandum read partly.
According to the claim, repeated complaints of worsening pain were ignored, and the situation escalated until Ogene’s abdomen became severely bloated.
He noted that two doctors eventually intervened, but only after what the solicitors described as a prolonged struggle and mishandling of the catheter, which reportedly led to the doctors having to pierce his lower abdomen to drain urine directly from his bladder.
“Two doctors then came to attend to our client, but at this point, our client’s abdomen had become very bloated and hard, obviously as a result of the wrong insertion of the catheter, leading to prolonged retention of urine fluid, which was compounded by the above unprofessional and negligent misconduct of Nurse Elizabeth. The doctors crudely pulled out the catheter from our client’s urethra, which consequently gave way to blood spilling over our client’s body and the bed.
“The medical team, comprising the two doctors and a nurse, unsuccessfully struggled to manage the situation for about 35 minutes, after which they eventually resorted to piercing our client’s lower abdomen to drain urine directly out of his bladder,” the memorandum added.
The solicitors alleged that the nurse who handled the treatment neither lacked sufficient training or acted callously, alleging that the hospital also failed to provide timely specialist care.
Ogene’s solicitors said he reportedly endured continued trauma and humiliation, including the inability to perform daily activities, physiotherapy for his stroke, or his pastoral and architectural duties.
They are seeking N500m for negligent treatment, N100m for trauma, N200m for loss of enjoyment and amenities of life, and N10m monthly from December 2025 till 2042 as loss of earnings by the claimant as a consultant architect.
Also, they sought N4.4m in refund of the hospital bills the claimant paid to the defendant, N20m for the cost of the legal action against the hospital and the officers, including the Medical Director and Proprietor, Dr Rabiu Funsho.
The solicitors also proposed a settlement meeting through Alternative Dispute Resolution, warning that failure to engage could result in litigation.
In a response via email to Saturday PUNCH and signed by the hospital’s Customer Service Officer, Ayomide Olayiwola, the facility said the matter had been escalated for appropriate investigation.
The hospital added that, despite the restrictions, it remained committed to upholding patient’s safety, professional ethics, and continuous quality improvement.
“The hospital treats all complaints and allegations relating to patient care with the utmost seriousness. Your inquiry requires the disclosure of a patient’s medical information. However, pursuant to extant laws, we are bound by strict legal and ethical obligations of confidentiality and patient privacy. These obligations prohibit the disclosure of any patient-related information, including the identity, medical condition, treatment, or clinical management, to third parties or the media.
“All petitions and complaints received are subjected to thorough internal review processes, including clinical audits, professional reviews, and management oversight. This is in line with our clinical governance and quality assurance standards to ensure accountability and adherence to best medical practices. In this regard, the matter referenced is currently under review,” the statement read.
THE PUNCH
