19th September, 2023
By Michael Adesina
Adebola Akin-Bright, the 12-year-old boy whose intestines went missing in the process of surgery, has died.
A source close to the family of the deceased told BBC that Akin-Bright died on Tuesday evening.
According to the source, the boy developed complications and was rushed to the intensive care unit of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital where he was thereafter pronounced dead.
Earlier today, the Lagos State House of Assembly called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to direct the Ministry of Health to release funds for the overseas treatment of Adebola.
Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, while presiding over the day’s plenary, moved that Master Akin-Bright needed the urgent treatment abroad.
Obasa and the House also called for the immediate arrest of the doctor of the private hospital, Obitoks Medical Centre in the Alimosho area of the state, who performed the initial surgery that led to the missing small intestine while investigations continue.
The Speaker’s position followed a preliminary report by the Majority Leader, Hon. Noheem Adams, who briefed the House on the findings of a five-man ad-hoc committee created to investigate the circumstances that led to the disappearance of the boy’s intestine.
Giving the preliminary report, Adams said members of the ad-hoc committee visited the boy at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) on Tuesday.
Adams, who chaired the committee, said that the full report would soon be presented, adding that some shocking discoveries were made in the course of its investigations.
“We made some shocking discoveries in the course of our investigation. The incident is very unusual, but we want the boy to survive and we know Mr. Speaker is very interested in his survival too.
“We went to LASUTH on the directives of the Speaker, Rt. Hon Mudashiru Obasa, to find out the health status of Adebola Akin-Bright.
“The hospital told us that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had taken care of the bill for his treatment at LASUTH.”
Adams, however, said they were told by the hospital that Akin-Bright needed to be transferred urgently to either the United States of America or United Kingdom for an intestine transplant and that communications were ongoing with hospitals in the two countries.
Unfortunately, it is now too late to do anything concerning the health of Akin Bright.
May God give his family the fortitude to bear the loss and provide them with all the props and support needed to overcome this moment of grief.