A Lagos doctor and Managing Director of Holyfill Hospital, Ayelaje Joseph, has been accused of allegedly removing a woman’s womb without her consent in his hospital located in Ikorodu area of Lagos State. The victim, Mrs. Okeafor Suzan, claimed she visited the hospital for fibroid removal but realized later that her womb was removed without her knowledge or permission.
However, in a swift response, Dr. Joseph said Mrs. Suzan gave consent for her womb to be removed, having had two children. In an exclusive interview with the distressed mother of two, she traced the genesis of her predicament to February 16, 2024, when she visited Holyfill Hospital to consult Dr. Joseph.
According to her: “We registered with Holyfill Hospital in Ikorodu on February 1, 2024, under our medical service provider, Marina HMO.
“In that same month, I had an appointment with the MD of Holyfill, a gynecologist. I consulted him about a fibroid I had been managing for a few years and wanted it removed.
“He immediately suggested removing my womb. I refused, explaining that it was a single fibroid, and previous scans advised against removal because it was symptomatic, causing bleeding and pain.
“He took me into his examining room, accompanied by his female manager, examined me, and stated that the fibroid had grown larger over the years.
“He prescribed medication to alleviate the pain and blood flow for that month. Although the medication provided some relief, I still desired to have the fibroid removed.
“He agreed and said he would send a code to my HMO to approve the surgery. The HMO requested an additional scan, which again revealed a single fibroid.
“A surgery date was scheduled for March 30, 2024, but the doctor rescheduled it for March 29, 2024.
“After the surgery, I requested to see the removed fibroid, but nothing was shown to me. I returned to the hospital to file a complaint about the absence of my monthly period for April and May 2024.
“The doctor casually informed me, ‘You won’t see your period again; I removed your womb.’ I was shocked and asked why. He claimed it was what we had agreed upon, but that was untrue.
“I was taken to the theater and shown a bucket containing human parts, and I was told one of them was my fibroid.
A subsequent scan confirmed that my womb had been removed without my permission, knowledge, or consent, and without pre-counseling or post-counseling.
“I did not request the removal of my womb, and I did not sign any consent form,” she stated, disappointed.
Dr. Joseph reacts
In a contradictory statement, the Managing Director of Holyfill Hospital, Dr. Ayelaje Joseph, claimed that Mrs. Suzan had requested the removal of her womb.
In a telephone conversation, he said: “She came with a complaint of bleeding and low blood pressure at 19 percent.
“We advised her to wait until her blood pressure increased before proceeding. She discussed removing her womb to prevent further pregnancies, having completed her family with two children.”
Meanwhile, Suzan’s husband, George Okeafor, corroborated his wife’s claim, saying, “There was no point in time I filled a consent form for womb removal.
“We only sought approval for fibroid removal from the HMO. All communications with the hospital and HMO were for fibroid removal.
“On the day of the surgery, I filled out a form with basic details, and the other parts were left blank for the hospital to complete.”
Police
Upon contacting the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, he said, “Though I am not aware of such a crime, if the victim feels the divisional police did not do justice, she should report the case to the Area Command of the jurisdiction.”
