How I was abandoned in hospital over N80,000 – Ex-Minister Dalung

A former Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Solomon Dalung, has narrated his near-death experience at a hospital in Jos, the Plateau State capital.

According to the ex-minister, he took ill on Wednesday and arrived at the hospital but shortly became unconscious after doctor’s interviews, reports Saturday PUNCH.

He narrated his ordeal in a post via X yesterday.

Dalung said he was taken into the emergency ward but abandoned for over four hours due to non-payments of admission deposits.

The former minister said he regained partial consciousness later and made the transfer of the deposit before he was attended to.

“I took ill on Wednesday, arrived at the hospital, and shortly became unconscious after doctor’s interviews. I was ferried into the emergency ward but abandoned for over four hrs due to non-payment of admission deposits. Regained partial consciousness and later did the transfer of deposit.

“After that, I fell into unconsciousness again for about seven hours. To God be the glory, I have been discharged after three days and recovering. Were it not for partial consciousness to pay the deposits, I would have been Mr. late. Many Nigerians have gone this way. Where is our humanity?” he wrote.

The minister was quoted when contacted to have said that despite passing out and not being able to make payment through his phone, officials of the hospital insisted on the payment of N80,000 deposit before they could treat him.

Dalung wondered why he was treated in that manner by the hospital’s management, despite being their client for several years.

He said, “We left the house around 3:30pm and got to the hospital around 4 pm, but the doctor did not come out. Instead, he said I should come in. He didn’t even produce a wheelchair to take me in. So, my orderly and driver held me and took me to the doctor’s office.

“He asked me the normal questions, but then I was already transiting into subconsciousness, so I was not even hearing what he was saying. I managed to tell him, ‘I can’t sit anymore. Can I lie down?’ And he said I should lie down in the bed in his office, and he concluded his questions. I remember him saying, ‘admission’. I shook my head in response.

“Then three of them came. Instead of taking me to the ward, because it’s a hospital I’m familiar with, I was ferried into the emergency ward. Why emergency ward? I couldn’t do anything, so I lied down and just went off. I didn’t know what was happening. They administered an intravenous injection on me. They brought the medication to me, but it was kept in the room.

“After four hours, I suddenly became very cold, so I became conscious. And I raised my head and saw some drugs in a cartoon but I couldn’t move or do anything, so, I was just there for few moments, then my orderly came in and then the drama of deposit started. Deposit about what? Take me into admission. They said they couldn’t administer the drugs on me, that I had to pay the deposit before I would be taken to the ward, and then they would administer the drugs. Then, my consciousness became erratic again.

“I’m not even new to the hospital. That’s where my medical records are. The last two months I had my medical checkup, it was there. I’ve been admitted there a couple of times. That’s where my wife died. They’ve been treating my family members. That’s why I’m yet to come to terms with how I was treated.

“They discharged me without even telling me what they treated me for, so I insisted I wanted to see the doctor and that I won’t leave until I saw him. I went on to see him, and I asked him, ‘You have discharged me. What did you treat me for?’ He told me it was high malaria concentration and infection. I walked out.”