Nizamiye Hospital Denies Allegations Of Delayed Treatment For Senator Kontagora

The Management of Nizamiye Hospital has denied allegations that it delayed a critical medical procedure for former Nigerian Senator Ibrahim Musa Kontagora due to unpaid bills, saying no surgery was scheduled and the hospital does not provide the stem cell therapy that was recommended.

Kontagora, who served as a senator representing Niger North from 2011 to 2015, died at the hospital after a week-long coma.

An online report had claimed that doctors withheld a $30,000 surgery after the family failed to make full payment.

In a statement in Abuja, the Hospital Spokesman Mohammed Abubakar said the only procedure the senator underwent was a shunt to relieve blood clotting, and no further surgery had been planned.

“There was no pending surgery,” Abubakar said. “The shunt procedure was completed, and the subsequent recommendation was for stem cell treatment, which we don’t carry out here.”

He explained that the hospital merely connects interested patients with foreign specialists who offer the therapy.

“The family even contacted us recently for help reaching out to those specialists,” he said.

Abubakar also dismissed reports of an outstanding payment, saying the hospital has no record of any $15,000 partial deposit or debt.

“There’s still money left in the patient’s hospital account,” he said. “If there was a payment or surgical delay, those making the claims should provide evidence.”

The hospital emphasized that no advance payment was required for any in-house procedures related to the senator’s treatment.

PR Oduyemi Odumade