Ogun denies death of woman within health centre premises

Dr Tomi Coker 

The Ogun State Government has debunked the claim that a woman died within the premises of its primary health center at Joju area, in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government as a result of neglect and denial of access to medical facilities and care services.

A relation of a woman identified as Rose, who was allegedly  reported dead around the premises of the health center, had accused the health workers of sending her elder sister out of the health facility due to the suspicion of Covid-19 without attending to her until she died.

In a release, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, said the thorough investigation carried out by the Ministry into the incident revealed that the  allegations were borne out of gross misinformation  and misrepresentation of facts, which at best was speculative.


According to Dr. Coker, the deceased did not present herself for treatment at the facility as alleged and as such, it could not have been possible to turn her back.

 "The accurate details of events was that state health officials who were on duty at the PHC sighted the woman outside the premises and sensed that she looked ill and in need of care.

"They immediately got ready to help transfer the deceased to the State Hospital, since the role of PHCs was basic preventive care support, not curative healthcare delivery which is where full medicare services could have been offered to the deceased.

"It was at the moment whilst organising a suitable transportation to the State Hospital that the deceased passed away and not within the PHC premises. She was never turned away as wrongly reported," Dr. Coker said.

Commiserating with the family of the deceased, the Commissioner reiterated the utmost commitment of the Governor Dapo Abiodun- led administration to the welfare and healthcare of every Ogun State indigene and resident alike.

Great Achiever Magazine reports that Dr. Coker emphasised that healthcare workers across Ogun State are utmost professionals, who have been trained to deliver compassionate care.

 She also commended media practitioners across all channels for supporting the efforts of the  Ministry of Health in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, urging the pressmen to exercise restraints in the way news are broken by carrying out due diligence to ascertain the facts surrounding such sensitive events.