Update On The #SaveMayowa Saga

Kenneth Otuneme, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of LUTH, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, said that the institution was not involved in the fundraising campaign, and did not refer her overseas for treatment.

Otuneme said that the hospital only “arrived at a tentative diagnosis of an abdominal malignancy”. He said that they wanted to conduct fresh tests on Mayowa, but the family insisted that she be flown abroad for treatment.

READ ALSO: Linda Ikeji, Toyin Aimakhu And The #SaveMayowa Episode

He added that they told the family about the risk of flying her out of the country because of her low blood count. He however said that they had to transfuse her with “much needed” blood after persuasion from her family.

“Mayowa Ahmed, 31, is an old patient of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital who has been on treatment for another condition.

Ahmed came into the Private Wing of LUTH on Monday, July 25, with a history and clinical features of an intra-abdominal mass.

The patient accompanied by some of her family members brought along some results of laboratory investigations ordered and done outside LUTH.

Three different specialists: a gynaecologist, an oncologist and a haematologist- were invited to review Ahmed’s case.

They all arrived at a tentative diagnosis of an abdominal malignancy.

They planned to conduct a series of fresh tests on her to confirm the definitive diagnosis, since the earlier tests were neither requested nor authorised by any doctor from LUTH.

The family, however, requested to fly Ahmed outside the country barely 24 hours after her admission in LUTH, thus stalling all the planned investigations meant to arrive at a definitive diagnosis.

We were able to transfuse her with much-needed blood only after lots of persuasion when the family was told point blank that it was risky for her to travel by air, given her low blood count,” Otuneme said.

He also said that Friday was the third day after her admission and a definitive diagnosis had not yet been made while the relations insisted on flying her abroad.

“LUTH has only dealt with (Mayowa) Ahmed and her relations throughout her stay and not with any other third party,” he said.

Otuneme said that the hospital management, however, had to invite the police to restore peace within its premises following an altercation between Ahmed’s relatives and persons unknown to the hospital.

He urged the general public to patiently await the outcome of the ongoing police investigations.

The following statement was issued by Dolapo Badmos, spokesman of the Lagos Police Command,”The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni has directed full scale investigation into the report that the Save Mayowa Campaign is a fraud. Founder of Lifestake foundation Ms Aramide Kasumu and two members of the ailing Aramide Shukura Ahmed’s family, Mr Iwaloye Seun and Mrs Zaneen Ahmed were earlier today invited to the command’s headquarter on a fact-finding mission, subsequently the command have placed a red alert on the access bank account opened in the name of Mayowa as it has been frozen while effort is ongoing to contact the managers of Gofundme online account so as to ensure funds raised through that platform is not fraudulently diverted. Investigation will be extended to LUTH hospital Idi-Araba where the patient is currently undergoing treatment. The command wishes to inform all the good spirited people who had donated generously to this course that it will ensure it does not return as a hoax and every outcome of the investigation shall be made open. Our heart is with Mayowa at this Critical period of her life and pray she finds healing.”

Aramide of Lifestake Foundation has helped many Nigerians who were in dire need of funds to cover medical care, was one of the key people mentioned alongside Nollywood actress Toyin Aimakhu in the heat of the #SaveMayowa fundraising campaign. She said, about 80 Million Naira was raised for Mayowa in Nigeria. She calls for more transparency and accountability regarding these funds.