Health
Hospital must explain why my daughter is SS while I’m SC, wife AA – Father
You recently cried out on social media about the possible swap of your child at birth at the Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital, Ogbomosho. Can you narrate what happened?
My name is Adediji Moses, I’m from Ogbomosho, I’m married with three children and I’m 34 years old. I’m the father of Esther Adediji, a child I believe was swapped at birth.
It happened in 2018. My daughter was born on November 15. Before her delivery, we didn’t even realise that my wife was ready to have a child. She said she didn’t feel too well and we decided to take her to the hospital for a checkup. On arrival at the hospital, the medical workers were on strike and we met only a nurse when we got there late in the night. She stated that she could not tend to her and we were referred to Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital, Ogbomosho, Oyo State. When we got there at midnight, they attended to us and my wife had a baby. After the delivery, my grandmother who accompanied us to the hospital told me to go to bed because she was with us. After the delivery, we were told that my baby had jaundice and something in her brain and that without treatment, she would be dull.
What did the medical workers who attended to your wife advise you to do?
With that said, we were asked to stay back at the hospital and we spent up to a month there. In 2021, my wife and I were already in Lagos where we work and my daughter became ill. My grandmother took her to the hospital for treatment and that was what led to us conducting a genotype test. When I was told that she had sickle cell disease. I said it was not possible because my genotype is SC while my wife’s is AA. Later, I took all my children to Ogbomosho and we conducted several tests. Despite all the tests done, she (my daughter) always came back as SS and this became an issue for me. How is that possible? We were also invited as a family and all of us had our test conducted and the results were the same. We also went to Sickle Cell Foundation, Lagos, and we had the test done and it was the same. This last admission was two weeks ago when she became seriously ill which frustrated me so much that despite not being financially strong, despite finding it very difficult to feed myself and my family, I have a child whose care is taking from me almost everything I work for.
What action did you take?
After this thought, I went back to the LAUTECH teaching hospital and complained, and after a lot of back and forth and not believing my words, I was told to go bring my child and wife, adding that they could only confirm my claims by having a test done. They gave us a day to come and my wife and child were present. They took samples from us and when the result came out, it was the same. That was why I raised the alarm in public, appealing to Nigerians to come to my aid. I have been to no fewer than five hospitals to have a genotype test conducted and we continued to have the same result from the tests, not for my child alone but also for me and my wife. My other children had their genotype tests and they confirmed that their genotype is AS.
When you had a new test conducted for your daughter at LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, what was the response of the doctors in charge?
When the results came out, they could not say anything. They were all there looking at one another, knowing that it wasn’t meant to be so. That day, the person in charge was perambulating before he gave me the result. I noticed that they were fidgeting and it seemed like they had something to hide. How asked them whether it was possible to have that kind of result, but they could not say anything. When the doctors saw it, they said that they would get in touch with me. They were harsh towards me after the result of the test came out. On the day I went to collect the result of the test, they took it from me and said that they would discuss it with the chief medical director. The next day, when I got there to get the result, probably to take a shot of it for record purposes, the man in charge sent me out of his office, claiming that it was not time for me to be attended to, despite waiting for a long time to see him. After a while, he came out and was walking away and when I looked up, I realised that he was watching the video I made about the issue.
When did you make the video?
I made the video the same day just before I left home but before I got to the hospital, the video had gone viral. When I saw that he didn’t attend to me, I left the hospital.
Can you remember the doctors or nurses who handled the delivery on the day your child was born?
No, I can’t remember those who were on duty on that day but there was someone there that I know who is a ward orderly. She had a child in a school where I used to teach some years back. That was the only person I could.
Were you present at the birth of the child?
I took my wife to the hospital myself but I wasn’t in the labour room where she had the child. I was outside. With all that I’ve seen so far and the information available to me, which is clear, what is certain is that my child was swapped at birth; that is what it means. The money I have spent on the child is so much that I can’t state the exact amount. However, in the last two years, she has taken almost everything I have worked for. I can’t start calculating it, but it has not been easy for me. I was frustrated by the thought that my child may have been swapped at birth. I’m still really frustrated running up and down for her care. This is what I had been running away from before I got married. I did not want to marry a wife whose genotype is not AA. We were all taught and we know which genotypes are compatible and the ones that are not. I did my due diligence when I wanted to get married.
What I want from them is to investigate to know what happened and how I had a daughter with the SS genotype when my wife and I have the AA and SC genotypes, respectively. I also want them to find out the doctors in charge on the night my wife delivered a baby and those who were responsible for swapping my baby. I also want the Oyo State Government to intervene in the issue because the hospital is owned by the state government. I want them to also help me. They should ensure that the investigation is quickly done to find out who was responsible for swapping my child.
Do you want the sick child returned to her biological mother and yours returned to you if your allegation turns out to be true?
She is a child that I love so much and she loves me as well. It is not that I want to return the child or something, what I am pleading is for her to be appropriately taken care of. However, when they find out where my original child is, it will be good for me to at least know where the child is and I’ll rest. I beg the government to come to my aid because it is not easy to have two sickle cell patients in a family; despite being a sickle cell patient myself, as the husband of the house, I have to also provide for the family. So, it has not been easy for me.
Yes, I want them to find my biological child. I’m not saying that they should give me the child because if I am told to take my biological child and return the sick child I have with me, it would affect the two children psychologically because they have grown up and adapted to some parents already. It can affect the children who know nothing about the crime that was committed. They are innocent and can’t be allowed to go through this mental and psychological stress. I don’t want to return the baby, I just want to be helped to care for her and also know who committed such a crime and ensure they do not repeat it some other time.
What measures do you think should be taken against those found culpable?
I don’t want the doctors’ licences seized or they declared unfit to practice because that would be a lot of punishment. I don’t want that to happen to anyone because we all offend God and He forgives us. So, who are we as humans not to offend God? They also have children and family to feed. If their licences are seized, what will their family feed on? Yes, they should be punished but taking their licences will be too much. The only thing I care about now is knowing where my biological child is and for the crime not to repeat itself.
All that I want is for Nigerians and the public to help me turn this child into a successful person who will be known far and wide for good because she is a child that God has given intelligence. She is five years old and serious about education. Sickness is something that weighs one down and she won’t be able to go to school to take exams when she is weighed down by sickness. That also affected my education. I need help to take care of her. I do not have the financial capacity to take care of her. I also appreciate those who have shown support so far and I hope that a solution will be gotten as soon as possible. I strongly believe that God has a plan and that is why this has happened to me, but I want to know those who orchestrated this evil against my family by swapping my biological child at birth.
Have you faced any threats while trying to get justice?
Recently, I approached a radio station in Ibadan, Agidigbo FM, where I also explained what I was going through. After that, I’ve been trying to fend for my family and care for my girl because all my work is practically to take care of her and her medical bills. So, it was in the morning when I started noticing a funny movement. I took my bike out and was going to start working when I saw two men near my house but they didn’t look like they wanted to take a bike. I left for work and came back home in the evening. After staying at home for a while, I wanted to go and see someone and by the time I was back, I saw the two men by the side of my bike; there was a Toyota Camry car with the door opened there also. I asked them to please adjust and that I wanted to take my bike but instead, they approached me as if they wanted to talk to me but they placed a gun by my side and asked me to enter inside the car. I entered the car and they used handkerchiefs to cover my face, so I didn’t know where I was driven to. They drove for about 20 to 30 minutes before they stopped. One of them got down and made calls and they said a lot of things to me.
What did they tell you?
The major thing they told me was that innocent people would be affected if I continued to take any step in unravelling what was behind my daughter’s case at the LAUTECH teaching hospital. I started begging them and telling them that I wasn’t going to drag any case but that I wanted my daughter and wife to live a good life and be well-taken care of. They spoke to someone via calls again and concluded that they would release me. They warned me that they were watching me and if I took any step again, they would find me. Around some minutes after 10 pm, they carried me again and returned me to Orita Nira where they picked me up.
What do you want now?
Honestly, I don’t want to pursue any case, especially with what just happened to me. The only thing that I want is to be able to fend for my family and help them while ensuring that they are in good health. My wife and I are jobless and I only ride okada to survive. If they help me, I would be able to fend for the family without worrying about taking care of my daughter’s health. My parents also took care of me and that was how I survived. I believe that she can also be taken care of.
In 2024, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, revealed that Nigeria had about 55,000 licensed doctors.
Speaking during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today, Pate disclosed that no fewer than 16,000 doctors had left the country in the past five years, while about 17,000 others had been transferred out of active service.
Worrisomely, a new revelation by the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, indicates that the number of practising doctors in Nigeria has declined from 55,000 to 40,000 within just one year.
In his presentation at a one-day leadership dialogue in Lagos themed “Strengthening PHC Systems: A Joint Leadership Dialogue,” Abayomi identified manpower shortage as one of the most critical challenges facing the health sector.
The dialogue, organised by the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board with support from development partners, addressed barriers hindering PHCs from meeting expectations and proposed practical solutions for building sustainable PHCs with lasting impact.
Abayomi stated that Lagos currently has only 7,000 doctors serving an estimated 30 million residents, far below the number needed for optimal care delivery.
The commissioner raised concerns over the acute shortage of health workers in the state, disclosing that the state requires an additional 33,000 doctors to meet the healthcare demands of its growing population.
“Nigeria currently has about 40,000 doctors against an estimated need of 300,000, while Lagos alone requires about 33,000 doctors but has only about 7,000,” he said.
According to him, Lagos’ doctor-to-population ratio remains far below what is required for optimal healthcare delivery, noting that the state’s doctors are serving an estimated population of nearly 30 million people.
To address the shortfall, Abayomi said the state government is investing in its newly established University of Medicine and Health.
“Within five years, UMH will produce about 2,500 healthcare workers annually, including laboratory scientists and other essential cadres,” he stated.
The mass exodus of healthcare professionals popularly known as japa syndrome, especially doctors, nurses, and pharmacists has remained a major concern in Nigeria.
A 2017 survey conducted by a Nigerian polling organisation in partnership with Nigeria Health Watch revealed that about 88 per cent of Nigerian doctors were seeking job opportunities abroad at the time.
The President of the Nigerian Medical Association, Prof. Bala Audu, recently warned that Nigeria has moved beyond passive brain drain and has become a direct recruitment hub for foreign governments seeking skilled medical professionals.
In an interview, Audu revealed that international recruiters now visit Nigeria to directly hire doctors—particularly specialists such as obstetricians, gynaecologists, and paediatricians—offering them superior working conditions, remuneration, and infrastructure.
He lamented that while Nigeria’s population continues to grow and mortality rates remain high, the country is losing specialists at an alarming rate.
“Many of our doctors are not even going abroad to look for jobs. Foreign governments now come into Nigeria to pick doctors and take them away,” Audu said.
“We are still having more births, yet maternal deaths remain high because the skilled birth attendants who should care for these women are reducing every day.”
Audu added that in some specialties, the number of Nigerian doctors practising abroad may already exceed those still working within the country, a situation worsened by the government’s failure to significantly improve doctors’ welfare despite existing policy frameworks.
Experts have warned that with the current pace of emigration, it would be impossible for Nigeria to produce enough health workers to meet its growing healthcare demands. They estimate that it would take at least 20 years to train the over 400,000 health workers required to close the gap.
A former President of the NMA, Prof. Mike Ogirima, described Nigeria’s doctor-to-patient ratio as “horrible,” noting that the country currently has about one doctor to 8,000 patients—far below the World Health Organisation’s recommendation of one doctor to 600 patients.
Nigerian health communication researcher, Ifesinachi Ayogu, has attributed the rising number of cancer-related deaths in the country to the neglect of routine self-breast examination among women and routine Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) testing among men.
Ayogu told journalists on Monday that the failure to prioritise regular screening had contributed significantly to late detection of breast and prostate cancers, which are among the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in Nigeria.
He said many cancer cases were only discovered when the disease had reached advanced stages, making treatment more complex and survival chances lower.
According to him, the increasing burden of cancer deaths calls for a more intentional and sustained approach to cancer awareness, early detection, and preventive health behaviour.
“Early detection saves lives, but many people are not practising simple, routine screening that could help detect cancer early,” Ayogu said.
He noted that breast cancer and prostate cancer were often manageable when detected early, but ignorance, fear, stigma, and limited awareness continued to discourage people from carrying out regular checks.
The researcher explained that self-breast examination allows women to notice unusual lumps or changes early, while routine PSA testing helps detect prostate abnormalities before symptoms become severe.
Ayogu said deaths resulting from breast and prostate cancers were often preventable, stressing that delayed diagnosis was a major factor contributing to high mortality rates.
He added that many Nigerians still lacked basic information on how to conduct self-breast examinations, when to go for PSA tests, and where to seek appropriate medical care.
The health communication researcher emphasised the need for community-based education, especially in rural areas, using trusted platforms such as churches, markets, women’s groups, and radio programmes to promote routine screening practices.
He also urged healthcare providers and public health institutions to intensify public education on cancer prevention and ensure that screening information was simple, accurate, and accessible.
Ayogu advised individuals with a family history of breast or prostate cancer to be particularly vigilant about routine screening and healthy lifestyle practices.
He stressed that promoting routine self-breast examination and PSA testing would play a critical role in reducing late presentation and improving cancer survival outcomes in Nigeria.
Ifeshinachi Ayogu is a PhD graduate student, at the University of Oklahoma United States of America, his core interest is cancer communication, according to him, he believes that the next breakthroughs in cancer care for Nigerian women and men will not come from medicine alone.
The Federal Government said it had intensified monitoring and screening procedures at all points of entry in response to the ongoing outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Director of Port Health Services at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Akpan Nse, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with Saturday PUNCH on Friday.
Nse also noted that additional staff had been employed to strengthen border surveillance in the country.
Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo declared an outbreak of Ebola virus disease in Kasai Province, where 28 suspected cases and 16 deaths, including four health workers, had been reported as of September 5, 2025.
The outbreak comes at a time when much of Central and West Africa is grappling with overlapping health and humanitarian crises, including cholera, malnutrition, and population displacement.
The DRC’s last outbreak of Ebola virus disease occurred in the north-western Equateur Province in April 2022.
It was brought under control within three months.
In Kasai Province, previous Ebola outbreaks were reported in 2007 and 2008. Overall, the country has experienced 15 outbreaks since the disease was first identified in 1976.
Ebola virus disease is a rare but severe, often fatal illness in humans.
It is transmitted to people through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs, or other bodily fluids of infected animals such as fruit bats (believed to be the natural hosts). Human-to-human transmission occurs through direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person, contaminated objects, or the body of someone who died from the disease.
In the ongoing outbreak, samples tested on September 3 at the National Institute of Biomedical Research in the capital, Kinshasa, confirmed that the cause was Ebola Zaire, a strain of the Ebola virus.
Dr Nse noted that although Nigeria was at risk of importing the virus due to high levels of international travel with the DRC, Port Health Services was on alert and had strengthened surveillance to prevent this.
He said, “We have intensified surveillance at all points of entry across the country—airports, land borders, and seaports. Every inbound traveller coming from Congo to Nigeria is thoroughly screened, and we collect their medical history through mandatory forms.
“We have also reactivated our portals. Every passenger on every flight coming to Nigeria from Congo is screened upon arrival. This applies to airports, seaports, and land borders. Even if passengers transit through Congo on their way to Nigeria, they must undergo screening.
“In addition, with support from WHO, we have recruited more staff to enhance surveillance. Increasing the workforce allows us to effectively prevent the importation of the virus and ensure thorough screening at all borders.”
He added that some private organisations had partnered the Federal Government to ensure that thermal scanners at airports remained fully functional.
Meanwhile, the WHO has released $500,000 from its Contingency Fund for Emergencies to support the response to the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in the DR Congo.
Announcing this at a media briefing on global health issues on Friday, the WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, disclosed that 28 suspected cases and 16 deaths had been reported so far, including four health workers.
He highlighted that the UN body already had staff on the ground in Kasai, with more on the way.
“We’re joining rapid response teams to trace contacts and find cases; we’re collecting and testing samples, and we’re providing technical expertise in surveillance, infection prevention and control, treatment, risk communication, and more. WHO has also delivered personal protective equipment, laboratory equipment, medical supplies, and a mobile laboratory.
“We had previously prepositioned 2000 doses of Ebola vaccine in Kinshasa, which we are releasing to vaccinate contacts and health workers. This is the 16th outbreak of Ebola in the DRC, and the government has rich experience from those previous outbreaks,” the WHO boss stated.
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