12th December, 2023
By Paul Dada
The General Hospital, Orile-Agege in Lagos, has been accused of imposing food prepared in its kitchen on patients admitted to its wards.
P.M. News visited one of its wards on Sunday and Monday, and can confirm that the allegation is true.
On Sunday, P.M. News observed that the patients were being served eba and egusi soup in one of the female wards.
A patient who was still recuperating from surgery in one of the wards and had yet to start eating told P.M.News : “Yes, they impose food on us. And they tell us that whether we eat the food or not, we will pay for it”.
A visitor to the patient was the one that had to eat the food since the patient’s system could not take it yet. He told P.M. News that the oddity in the General Hospital is not just the food imposed on patients but also the bad condition of the general toilets.
P.M. News visited the place again on Monday and was told that pap was forced on the patients for breakfast.
Some of the workers confirmed that it is hospital policy for patients to pay for the food whether they want it or not.
A health worker at the place, said, “they have to pay for the food whether they want it or not. It is hospital policy”.
Another health worker, said “Yes, they have to eat the food. But I cannot eat the food”. She however, offered to sell tea to our correspondent. “If you want tea, just ask for me”.
P.M. News contacted the Director of Press and Public Affairs in the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Tubosun Ogunbanwo for reaction to the development.
He said: ‘Patients are not supposed to bring their own home-made meals, because it has implications for the care they are receiving under our watch. If a complication or something sinister happens due to the meal taken, they won’t want to take responsibility, but would rather blame the hospital. So the patient is supposed to take the meals offered by the hospital while under our care. Taking home made meals is wrong and unacceptable to the hospital management, based on reasons adduced above.
“To turn around and ask the hospital not to charge fees for the meals is therefore asking the hospital to legitimize an illegality.
“God will keep helping us provide the best we can. We will keep up with our patient education efforts”.