The family of Kehinde Albert has appealed to members of the public to help locate the 42-year-old man who has been missing since February 27.
PUNCH Metro gathered that Kehinde disappeared from the General Hospital, Gbagada, Lagos, where he had been receiving treatment.
Speaking on behalf of the family during a telephone interview with our correspondent on Tuesday, the missing man’s elder brother, Olatunde, said Kehinde had battled alcoholism for years and was preparing to begin a rehabilitation programme that required him to undergo medical tests.
He explained that Kehinde was taken to the hospital on February 26 alongside his twin brother for preliminary examinations ahead of the rehabilitation.
“On Thursday, February 26, I took him to the hospital with his twin brother because we wanted to enrol him in a rehabilitation programme for his alcoholism. We were told to carry out some medical tests on him,” he said.
“He had not been feeling well generally. About two years ago, we took him to a private hospital and spent a lot of money on treatment. Things became worse for him after we lost our mother last year.
“Our mother used to take care of them, but after her death, there was no one to restrain him and he returned to drinking. So when we went to the rehabilitation centre, we were advised to run some tests.”
According to him, while at the hospital, Kehinde suddenly developed seizures and convulsions and was immediately admitted.
“When we got to the hospital, he suddenly started having seizures and convulsions, so he was admitted. After treatment by the medical staff, he became better later that Thursday,” he added.
Olatunde said he returned to the hospital the following day to purchase some prescribed drugs, leaving Kehinde in the care of his twin brother.
“On Friday, I went to get some drugs and left him with his twin brother because he was in better health,” he said.
He explained that he later saw the twin brother on the street and became worried.
“Later that night, I was surprised to see his twin brother on the street. When I asked why he had left Kehinde at the hospital, he said the hospital workers chased them away,” he said.
However, Olatunde said hospital staff told him a different story when he returned to the facility.
“They told me that Kehinde and his twin brother had made several attempts to run away from the hospital but were restrained. They said that while they were scrutinising their files, Kehinde sneaked out of the premises.
“That was on Friday, February 27, around 8 p.m. We have been searching for him since then. We have already lost our mother, and Kehinde is 42 years old. We need all the help we can get to find him.”
When contacted, the Medical Director of the General Hospital, Gbagada, Dr Olusegun Babafemi, said the patient was properly discharged after he and his twin brother insisted on leaving the hospital and became agitated.
According to him, Kehinde had initially visited the hospital for medical tests but nearly collapsed while at the laboratory.
“He came for tests, but while he was at the laboratory, he almost collapsed. The emergency team quickly moved him to the emergency unit where he was resuscitated,” Babafemi said.
He added that after Kehinde stabilised, his twin brother, Taiwo, insisted they wanted to leave the hospital.
“The nurse told him his brother still needed some tests before he could be discharged and advised that a cardiologist and a psychiatrist should examine him. But the brother insisted they would not stay,” he said.
Babafemi said the twin brother later attempted to leave the hospital with Kehinde without authorisation.
“While the nurse was attending to something else, the brother tried to leave with him. The nurse raised the alarm, and security personnel pursued them and brought them back to the hospital,” he added.
According to him, hospital staff subsequently informed them that they could leave if they signed a discharge form, but they refused and became agitated.
“They were told that the hospital is not a prison and that if they wanted to go, they could sign that they wished to leave. However, they refused to sign and insisted they just wanted to go,” Babafemi said.
He noted that hospital officials even assisted them with a registration payment when it was discovered they did not have enough money.
“I asked if it was because of the N1,000 fee that he wanted to abscond. I asked how much he had, and he said N500. Our Chief Security Officer gave him N500 so he could complete the payment. Someone escorted him to make the payment, and he paid the N1,000,” Babafemi explained.
He said Kehinde was subsequently discharged after completing the process.
“About two hours later, the brother returned and said he could not find him. At our hospital, once a patient is discharged, the hospital is no longer responsible for the person unless the patient is admitted to the ward,” he said.
Babafemi added that the hospital had circulated Kehinde’s photograph on its internal platforms and advised the family to check locations he usually visits.
“He may have gone somewhere familiar,” he added.
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