11-year-old Student Drags Abuja Hospital to Court

An 11-year-old Nelson George has filed an N100 million suit against Limi Children’s Hospital Limited for alleged misdiagnosis and mistreatment leading to the damage of one of his testes.

Mr Nelson, who instituted the suit through his father, Bankole George, also prayed Justice Akanbi Yusuf of FCT High Court, Kubwa, to make an order directing the hospital to pay the sum of N5 million to him as cost of filing the suit.

In the suit marked: FCT/HC/CV/7356/2023 dated and filed on Aug. 28 by his lawyer, Emmanuel Ekpenyong of Fred-Young & Evans LP, Nelson further prayed the court for an order directing the medical outfit to issue a letter of apology to him for the alleged misconduct.

The claimant also joined Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, Medical and Dental Practitioners’ Investigation Panel and Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission as 2nd to 4th defendants in the matter.

The claimant equally urged the court to declare that the 2nd to 4th defendants ought to be more proactive in ensuring that they perform their duties under their mandate as provided in the respective legislations establishing them to protect and promote his interests and wellbeing, including that of members of the Nigerian public.

In his joint statement of claim, Nelson said he was 11-year old presently “in Junior Secondary School 3 and lives under the parentship of Bankole George who is his next friend and legal guardian.”

“Bankole George (“Bankole”) is the biological father of the claimant.

“He is a Grade Level 18, Step 11 Director of Dangote Cement Plc. and a subscriber of the Platinum package of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS AXA MANSARD),” the statement said.

It said that Nelson was one of the beneficiaries of Bankole’s Health Insurance Scheme in Abuja.

According to the statement, on 30th January, 2023, Bankole discovered that the claimant (Nelson) was having serious abdominal pains and his genital and scrotum were swollen.

“Bankole promptly rushed the claimant to the 1st defendant’s hospital which is one of the hospitals listed in Bankole’s package of the NHIS for himself and his family members to which the claimant is one.

“After preliminary checks, the claimant was admitted at the 1st defendant’s hospital for treatment,” it said.

It said that the hospital then conducted laboratory tests on Nelson, including a scan on his genitals.

“In the scan report, the Sonologist concluded that the claimant suffered from Epididymo-orchitis/Torsion.

“The claimant was admitted at the 1st defendant’s hospital for 4 (four) days to undergo treatment for acute Epidydymo-orchitis only without addressing the Torsion in the scan report.

“He was discharged from the 1st defendant’s hospital in the evening of 2nd February, 2023,” it said.

“Painfully, in the evening of 9th February, 2023, at about 11pm, the claimant complained of discomfort in his genitals and the same abdominal pains.

“Bankole took the claimant back to the 1st defendant’s hospital in the morning of Friday, 10th February, 2023.

“The claimant was again admitted and this time treated for malaria, sepsis and peptic ulcer disease with series of tests conducted once more.

“The abdominal pains subsided and the claimant was discharged the second time in the evening of 11th February, 2023,” it said.

It further said that on Feb. 13, Nelson again complained of excruciating abdominal pains and his genitals were swollen, and Bankole was advised to take the claimant to another hospital for proper diagnosis and treatment.

“The claimant was taken to Nisa Premier Hospital Abuja (“the Nisa Premier”),” it said.

After preliminary examination and a scan which showed that Nelson had Testicular Torsion (“TT”), an urologist and his team at Nisa Premier promptly carried out a surgery on his scrotum.

The statement alleged that they later discovered that Limi Children’s Hospital Limited’s delay in discovering and promptly carrying out a surgery on the claimant had led to a complete damage to one of his testes.

It said Limi Hospital, however, denied any wrongdoing and maintained that their action was in line with standard medical protocol.

Besides, Limi Hospital’s counsel, on April 6, also wrote to Nelson’s lawyer, Ekpenyong, and absolved the hospital from any wrongdoing or liability.

It said Nelson’s lawyer, therefore, petitioned the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria and that when Nelson’s affidavit got to Medical and Dental Practitioners’ Investigation Panel, the panel said it had no jurudiction on the subject matter.

It said Ekpenyong thereafter petitioned the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission but the commission did not act on the complaint.

Nelson, therefore, averred that Limi Hospital owed him a duty as a patient to properly diagnose his medical condition to prevent a deterioration of his condition to the extent of losing one of his testes.

The defendants were yet to respond to the originating processes served on them as at the time of this report.

Justice Yusuf fixed Dec. 20 for hearing of the suit.