The
little boy, Omonigho Abraham, who was viciously attacked by two dogs in
Lagos has been forcefully discharged from hospital by his dad, this is
according to the Lagos State government who released a statement this
morning explaining their side of the story. Omo has since been flown to
India for treatment. Find what the Lagos State government posted on
their Facebook page below...
Master
Omonigho Abraham, the four year old boy who sustained extensive
injuries to his body, and a life threatening injuries to his scalp
following an attack by dogs has been discharged from Lagos State
University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) by his father against medical
advice, Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, has said.
The
Commissioner stated that all attempts to talk Mr. Odia Abraham, the
father of the boy against taking this wrong step were rebuffed by him as
he also signed necessary papers to show his desperation.
Omonigho
was in the Burns & Plastics unit of LASUTH where he was receiving
specialist treatment after a vicious dog attack at their rented
apartment at 35, Adegboyega Street, Akesan, Igando area of Lagos State
on the 29th of September 2014.
The
Commissioner, who made the disclosure today while reviewing the report
of the plastic surgery specialists in LASUTH who attended to Omonigho,
stated that the boy’s father took ill-advised step and chose to take his
son out of the hands of the specialists on Friday, 28th of November,
2014 against medical advice after being thoroughly counseled that
healthy granulation tissue growing on his son’s skull must not be
interrupted.
While
explaining the involvement of the State government in the management of
Omonigho’s health, Idris said that the attention of the present
administration, particularly the Governor, was drawn to the case of the
boy, who was initially rushed to the Igando General Hospital, where he
was stabilized and wounds cleaned by the medical team at the Accidents
& Emergency ward of the hospital.
The
Commissioner added that Omonigho was thereafter referred to the Burns
& Plastics unit of LASUTH where Specialists in Plastic Surgery
assessed him and promptly began to manage the life threatening avulsion
injuries on his scalp which left most of his skull exposed.
The
plastic surgery team, he said, placed the boy on intravenous
medication, fluids and daily wound dressing in order to ensure that
healthy granulation tissue can grow and cover the scalp before a skin
graft can be successfully performed, stressing that the definitive
management of Omonigho’s type of extensive and deep wounds is a skin
graft.
He
emphasized that when news of the sad and outrageous event was brought
to the notice of the Governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, he
immediately directed that young Omonigho be offered everything that will
ensure that he did not only survive the injuries, but recovers
optimally, so that the opportunity to reach his full potential is not
tarnished by the unfortunate accident.
He
also explained that the directive by the Governor ensured that Omonigho
receives the best of care at no charge to his parents or family members
and that Mr. Abraham, was thereafter invited to the State Ministry of
Health where he received full re-imbursement for expenses he incurred
previously in the management of the son’s health.
“He
was given a full exemption from paying any fees for the management of
his son’s health at LASUTH during his stay there and Omonigho while
recovering wrote a little “thank you” letter to the Governor”, Idris
noted.
He
said while the boy was receiving care at LASUTH, he was also visited by
the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, who spent time
with him and his parents to ensure that they were adequately taken care
of, stressing that during her visit, she found young Omonigho to be
clinically stable and doing very well.
Idris
averred that whilst conservative wound management was being done in the
Burns and Plastic Ward, in LASUTH, the State Government set plans in
motion to take Omonigho abroad for further management, where all
expenses incurred would be covered by the state government, and that
this was communicated to his parents who had close and continuous
contact with the Ministry of Health.
“After
a thorough search, a suitable hospital was found that would care for
the young boy. The chosen facility was the RAK Hospital, Dubai UAE.
LASUTH established a communication channel with RAK Hospital and it was
determined that Omonigho would require a meshed skin graft coverage of
the exposed skull for the next phase of his management. The Governor
thus approved the funds for the management of Omonigho, which includes
traveling, feeding and accommodation at the RAK Hospital in Dubai, UAE”,
the Commissioner stated.
He
noted that the boy’s father was promptly informed of the plan and was
invited to the State Ministry to discuss the details of the approval,
travel plans and hospital arrangements, and was thereafter given a
letter of approval stating the plans to fly his son abroad and was asked
to provide his son’s passport with an accompanying family member in
order to process visas and other travel requirements.
“However,
Mr. Abraham informed us that a Non-Governmental Organisation from Delta
State has made arrangements to fly him and his son for medical
treatment at a hospital in India. He was counseled on the benefits of
receiving the package offered by the Lagos State Government and was also
advised to put forward his decision as soon as possible so that the
necessary arrangements can be made to transfer his son and a family
member of his choice to Dubai for the treatment”, the Commissioner
noted.
He
added that the State government, in an effort to ensure the best care
possible for Omonigho, also offered to support Mr. Abraham if he would
rather go to India, in the hope that he would be getting the best care
possible from the unnamed hospital in India, being sponsored by the NGO.
The
Commissioner however disclosed that Mr. Abraham, for reasons best known
to him, chose to take his son out of the hands of the plastic surgery
specialists in LASUTH on Friday, 28th of November, 2014 against medical
advice.
According to him, “the surgical team explained to Mr. Abraham that it
was pertinent that the healthy granulation tissue growing on his son’s
skull through the careful, thorough and expert care of the Plastic
Surgery team must not be interrupted as this may cause infections to set
in, and slow the healing process, as well as, delay any definitive
reconstructive surgery. But Mr. Abraham unfortunately, took the
ill-advised step to leave the facility after being thoroughly counseled
by the specialist”,
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