‘It was an open chest injury’ — Budo Specialist Hospital reveals why Bolanle Raheem was referred
Before Bolanle Raheem, the lawyer shot by a police officer, was confirmed dead at Grandville Hospital, she had been taken to two other places — Budo Specialist Hospital and Doren Specialist Hospital — both located along Lekki-Epe expressway in the Ajah area of Lagos state.
On Thursday, newsmen visited both hospitals to understand what transpired regarding the medical treatment of the deceased.
Raheem was, on Sunday, shot dead when she was returning home from a Christmas outing with her family. The incident has sparked widespread criticism, while Drambi Vandi, the officer at the centre of the shooting, has been suspended and is currently in detention.
Recounting what transpired after the shooting, Gbenga Raheem, the deceased’s husband, said Bolanle was initially taken to Budo Hospital, after which she was referred to Doren Hospital.
“We headed to Budo Hospital. On getting there, I brought her out. They said they could not handle it and that we should go to Doren hospital,” Gbenga had said.
“Then we went to Doren. They tried to put bandages and cotton wool on her chest. They asked what happened. I said the police shot her. They tried to put oxygen on her because she said she couldn’t breathe. They tried to put syringe on her hand too.
“They eventually said since it is a bullet thing, they can’t handle it; that I should take her to Grandville Hospital at VGC. On getting there, they declared that she was no more.”
‘SHE NEEDED URGENT SURGERY’
There have been speculations over whether the deceased was initially denied medical treatment — an action contrary to the provisions of the Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Act, 2017. The law provides for immediate treatment of gunshot victims, with or without police clearance.
Speaking with newsmen, Adewoye Rotimi, medical director of Budo Specialist Hospital, said the lawyer was referred because of the nature of the injury.
“She was referred to another hospital. There is a serious difference between ‘rejected’ and ‘referred’. We don’t reject any patient here,” he said.
“When we saw the extent of the injury, we knew we couldn’t handle it. The case was an open chest injury by gunshot. The whole chest was scattered by the gunshot and it would require a cardiothoracic surgeon.
“It is an open chest injury, which we don’t have the capacity to handle. On that note, we told them to urgently take her to another facility.
“We knew that it was a cardiothoracic surgery issue. There was no point pretending that we could do something about it. If you saw the extent of the wound, only a cardiothoracic surgeon could do something about it. The heart and everything had been punctured. It was a close shot into the chest. The chest was scattered.”
The medical doctor added that the deceased was gasping for breath when she was brought into the hospital.
Meanwhile, when newsmen visited Doren Hospital, the reporter was directed to the administrative department.
At the admin department, a female personnel, who declined to mention her name, was asked why the lawyer was referred.
“The media cannot approach a hospital for a patient’s personal record. It is more or less a personal record that you are demanding,” the hospital official said.