Doctor who operated on boy with missing intestine is not a qualified surgeon, Lagos Assembly discloses

Dr. Abayomi Baiyewu, the medical doctor who performed surgery on a young boy, resulting in the disappearance of his small intestine, is not a qualified surgeon.

The Lagos State House of Assembly, on Friday, Sept. 21, made this known while revealing its findings on the circumstances that led to the disappearance of the late Adebola Akin-Bright’s small intestine.

This revelation comes after the Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, during plenary on Thursday, Sept. 21, directed the Clerk, Olalekan Onafeko, to write to the State Police Command for the arrest of Dr. Abayomi Baiyewu of Obitoks Hospital in the Alimosho area of Lagos.

Adebola died on Tuesday, Sept. 21, shortly after the House called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to further assist the patient in seeking treatment abroad.

Noheem Adams, the chairman of the Lagos Assembly ad-hoc committee with the mandate to investigate the circumstances that led to the disappearance of Adebola Akin-Bright’s small intestine, disclosed that during the investigation, “the committee learnt from Dr. Baiyewu that he is not a surgeon but only relied on his experience as a medical doctor.”

He also said Baiyewu, whose testimonies were recorded, told the committee that he did not carry out any medical examination on the boy before the first surgery which he did himself, adding that he only relied on the report from a hospital the patient was first taken to.

Noheem said after Baiyewu did the first surgery, the boy continued to complain about stomach pain and was taken back to Obitoks Hospital where Baiyewu carried out another round of surgery by himself.

Following more complications, Noheem said the boy was taken to LASUTH where it was confirmed that part of his intestine was missing.

The lawmaker said as a doctor, Baiyewu should have taken the excised part of the boy’s body to a pathological department for a test, but that “Dr. Baiyewu told the committee that the body parts were mistakenly discarded,” and that the doctor had planned to do a third surgery before the boy was taken to LASUTH.

The House commiserated with the bereaved family with Deputy Speaker Mojisola Meranda calling for the sealing of the hospital.

Another member of the committee, Lawal Aina, told his colleagues it was a pitiable sight when the committee visited Adebola at the hospital.

He added that upon interrogation, it was discovered that Dr. Baiyewu proved not to have been a certified surgeon.

Some of the lawmakers who spoke on the issue suggested that a formal complaint be made against Dr. Baiyewu to the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria for action while others urged stricter monitoring of medical doctors and hospitals