Dons Eze
HOW HOSPITAL REFUSED TO TREAT ME BECAUSE OF ₦80,000 DEPOSIT, DALUNG, FORMER MINISTER
Solomon Dalung, former Sports Minister, has publicly criticized the treatment he received at Rayfield Medical Services in Jos, Plateau State, after being allegedly neglected for hours due to non-payment of an admission deposit.
Naija News reports that the incident, which Dalung detailed on X, formerly known as Twitter, occurred after he became critically ill and unconscious.
Dalung recounted his harrowing experience at the hospital, stating that he was initially left unattended in the emergency ward due to a delay in the payment of an ₦80,000 deposit.
“I was ferried into the emergency ward but abandoned for over four hours due to non-payment of admission deposits,” he shared.
It was only after regaining partial consciousness and managing to transfer the deposit that he was finally attended to, though he again lost consciousness for about seven hours.
Dalung expressed his dismay over the incident, emphasizing the potential risk to his life had he not regained consciousness to authorize the deposit.
He described the situation as a stark reminder of the lack of humanity in the health care process, pointing out that many Nigerians could have faced similar, possibly fatal, outcomes.
“I took ill on Wednesday, arrived at the hospital, and shortly became unconscious after the doctor’s interviews,” Dalung explained.
He was surprised by the lack of immediate care and the focus on financial procedures over medical urgency.
“After four hours, I suddenly became very cold, so I became conscious. And I raised my head and saw some drugs in a cartoon but couldn’t move or do anything,” he added.
The former minister also highlighted his longstanding relationship with the hospital, where not only had he been treated multiple times, but his wife had also passed away.
This history made the neglect he faced even more baffling and painful for him.
“They’ve been treating my family members. That’s why I’m yet to come to terms with how I was treated,” he said.
Upon discharge, Dalung was frustrated by the lack of communication about his treatment.
He insisted on speaking to the doctor to understand what medical condition had been addressed.
“They discharged me without even telling me what they treated me for, so I insisted I wanted to see the doctor and that I won’t leave until I saw him,” he recounted.
Following the incident, Dalung plans to lodge a formal protest with the hospital’s management, expressing a strong desire to prevent similar negligence toward other patients in the future.
He lamented the focus on financial obligations over patient care, recalling how his life hung in the balance while the hospital staff prioritized payment discussions.
