The family of a 42-year-old man, Kehinde Albert, has appealed to the public for assistance in locating him after he reportedly went missing shortly after leaving the General Hospital Gbagada.
PUNCH Metro learnt that Albert has not been seen since February 27, when he disappeared from the hospital where he had been taken for medical examinations.
Speaking with our correspondent on Tuesday, the missing man’s elder brother, Olatunde Albert, said Kehinde had struggled with alcoholism for several years and was being prepared for admission into a rehabilitation programme that required preliminary medical tests.
According to him, Kehinde was taken to the hospital on February 26 alongside his twin brother for the required screening ahead of the rehabilitation.
He explained, “I took him to the hospital with his twin brother on February 26 because we wanted to enrol him in a rehabilitation programme for alcoholism. The centre advised that we carry out some medical tests first.
“He had not been feeling well generally. About two years ago, we spent a lot of money treating him at a private hospital.
His condition worsened after our mother died last year.”
Olatunde added that their late mother had always taken care of Kehinde and his twin brother, but after her passing, there was no one to control his drinking habit.
He said the family was later informed that Kehinde and his twin brother had attempted to leave the hospital several times but were prevented by hospital staff.
“They told me that while staff members were checking their files, Kehinde managed to slip out of the premises. That happened on Friday, February 27, around 8 p.m. Since then, we have been searching everywhere for him,” he said.
He appealed to members of the public to assist the family in locating him.
“We have already lost our mother, and Kehinde is 42 years old. We really need help to find him,” he added.
However, the Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Olusegun Babafemi, said the patient was eventually discharged after he and his twin brother insisted on leaving the facility.
Babafemi explained that Kehinde had initially visited the hospital for routine tests but nearly collapsed while at the laboratory, prompting an emergency response.
“He came in for tests, but while he was at the laboratory, he almost collapsed.
Our emergency team immediately moved him to the emergency unit where he was resuscitated,” he said.
The medical director added that after he stabilised, his twin brother, Taiwo, demanded that they should leave the hospital despite medical advice that further examinations were necessary.
“The nurse informed him that his brother still needed additional tests and should also be reviewed by a cardiologist and a psychiatrist. But the brother insisted they wanted to go,” Babafemi said.
According to him, Taiwo later attempted to leave the hospital premises with Kehinde without authorisation, but security personnel intercepted them after a nurse raised the alarm.
He said hospital officials then informed them that they could leave if they signed a discharge form indicating their decision to leave against medical advice.
“They were told the hospital is not a detention centre and that they could leave if they signed the discharge form.
However, they refused to sign and insisted on leaving,” he stated.
Babafemi noted that hospital staff even assisted them financially when it was discovered they did not have enough money to complete the registration payment.
“I asked if the issue was the N1,000 fee.
He said he only had N500, so our Chief Security Officer gave him the remaining N500. Someone escorted him to make the payment, and he paid the fee,” he added.
The hospital chief said Kehinde was eventually discharged after completing the process.
He added, “About two hours later, the brother returned to say he could not find him. Once a patient is discharged, the hospital is no longer responsible for the person unless the patient is admitted to a ward.”
Babafemi further disclosed that the hospital had circulated Kehinde’s photograph internally and advised the family to check places he was known to frequent.
“He may have gone somewhere familiar,” he said.