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| The Lagos State University Teaching Hospital |
A Lagos family is demanding answers after the death of 46-year-old Olatunde Joseph Ojelabi at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH). They allege he waited more than six hours for a bed in the emergency unit after a road crash, during which his condition deteriorated. LASUTH has firmly rejected claims that he was left unattended.
The incident occurred on the morning of Sunday, 6 September 2026. Olatunde was driving his wife, Mopelola, and two of their three children along Ijegun Road in Ikotun, Lagos, on their way to church. It was the first Sunday of the month, when birthday celebrants traditionally give thanks. Olatunde was due to turn 46 the next day.
According to his elder brother, Kolawole Ojelabi, a commercial tricycle (Keke Marwa) veered into their path while trying to pick up passengers. Olatunde swerved and collided with a stationary vehicle. The airbags deployed, but the steering wheel struck his face, causing serious injuries, especially on the right side. His wife was also injured but remained conscious and able to care for the children.
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Olatunde was first taken to a nearby private hospital. Staff there referred him to LASUTH because of the severity of his injuries. The family says he arrived at LASUTH’s Medical Emergency Unit before 9 a.m.
Kolawole has stated that his brother remained outside the emergency ward for more than six hours because no bed was available. During that period, the family watched his condition worsen. “We waited and watched him deteriorate,” Kolawole said. He later began to convulse and suffered a cardiac arrest. Medical staff then resuscitated him and performed a tracheostomy (a surgical opening in the neck to secure an airway) after the family consented. He was later moved to the Intensive Care Unit.
The family also described other experiences they found distressing, including being asked to buy a plastic bucket, towel and detergent to clean blood from the floor, and being asked to check bed availability in the ICU themselves after paying a significant deposit. They said they received limited information about medications and the overall treatment plan until a senior doctor later briefed them that Olatunde remained critically ill.
Olatunde died on 12 September 2026, six days after the crash and five days after his birthday. Kolawole has described the death as “needless” and called on the Lagos State Government, LASUTH management, and healthcare regulators to investigate. “Olatunde Joseph Ojelabi was alive when he arrived at LASUTH. He left the hospital six days later in death,” he said. The family wants clarity on whether earlier intervention or different protocols could have changed the outcome, and whether standard emergency triage and trauma assessment were followed promptly.
LASUTH’s response
LASUTH has rejected the allegation that Olatunde was left waiting for hours without care. Chief Medical Director Professor Adetokunbo Fabamwo described the family’s public account as “most uncharitable” to the hospital and its staff. He said Olatunde arrived with fatal injuries and was attended by specialists, including three different surgical consultants, even though it was a Sunday morning.
Director of Clinical Services Professor Adebowale Adekoya stated that the claim of a six-hour wait “never happened.” He noted that road-traffic accident victims are treated as emergencies and that consultants were involved. Regarding the cleaning items, the hospital said a transparent bucket forms part of a standard admission pack.
In an official statement, LASUTH described Olatunde as a polytrauma patient who required multidisciplinary specialist care. It said he was assessed and managed by relevant clinical teams according to the nature and severity of his injuries.
Despite interventions and supportive care, his condition deteriorated and he died in the ICU approximately seven days after presentation. The hospital maintained that the suggestion he was simply left unattended is “not consistent with the information available.” It acknowledged the family’s grief and said it would review the circumstances of his care through internal processes while respecting patient confidentiality.
Broader context
Cases like this highlight ongoing pressures on emergency and trauma services in Nigeria’s public tertiary hospitals, including bed availability, staffing on weekends, and communication with families during critical care. While individual outcomes depend heavily on the severity of injuries sustained before arrival, transparent review processes help build public trust. Both the family’s questions and the hospital’s account deserve thorough, independent examination so that lessons—if any—can improve future care.
This report is based on public statements by the family and LASUTH management, as covered in recent media reports including Punch Newspapers. It is not medical or legal advice.
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