Fifteen-month-old Taye Adetunji, who died under curious circumstances at HJ CLAIROOWEN medical centre on Sunday, was buried without autopsy based on the clinic’s recommendation, the family has alleged.
The child’s father Adeola Adetunji said on Thursday that the hospital’s doctor Dayo Badmus told someone at a cemetery around Command Ipaja and also gave his brother the number of the person for them to bury the infant there.
According to Adetunji, they were also given a medical report, which they took to the cemetery and gave the person Badmus linked them with to enable them bury the baby.
“Before I came to Lagos on Monday morning, the nurse, Dayo (Badmus) spoke to my brother and gave a number from the cemetery to my brother.
“Dayo directed us to the place to go and bury the baby. They buried the baby at Command, Ayobo, Ipaja.
“When I came back, my baby was already dead. Yes, I saw the baby. The doctor (Badmus) told my family that he could help secure a place for us to bury Taiye and directed us to the cemetery at Command, Ipaja.
“I asked for doctor’s report and he wanted to write it on a plain paper but I refused that it should be on the clinic’s letterhead. He later brought out the letterhead and wrote the report and signed it.
“We gave the cemetery attendant the doctor’s report before we were allowed to bury the baby there. We also paid N7, 000 at the cemetery.
“We agreed to use the cemetery because my baby deserved her last respect. We did not know about autopsy and the doctors did not say anything like that.
‘’They were just telling us that we should go and bury the baby and since my family lives in rented apartment, it would not have been easy to secure a grave for the burial by ourselves and my house is in Ogun.”
The revelation is coming just as the state government through the Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) said it has shutdown HJ CLAIROOWEN medical centre while investigations into all allegations continue.
Director for Public Health, Mrs. Adeola Salako, confirmed the closure of the clinic on telephone.
She assured the investigation would be thorough and findings made public.
Commissioner for Health Jide Idris dismissed claims by the Igando Medical Director that the doctor in the eye of storm (Dr. Joy) had been dismissed, stating investigations into the case were still on.
Idris said he was still in Abuja and was yet to receive reports of the detailed investigation he ordered including the registration status of the private hospital.
He said: “Nobody can terminate appointment like that. I asked them to investigate the registration status of that hospital. They have not gotten back to me.
“I am still in Abuja. I will get everything when I come back to my office on Friday.”
Idris also promised to detail someone to investigate fresh allegations against the clinic that it made the family bury the child without an autopsy.
“This is serious. I promise you I will detail someone to investigate this allegation.
“I will get all the findings of the investigation. I will also reach out to the father of the child. Thank you for the information,” he said.
