It appears the condition of four-year-old Omonigho Abraham, who was attacked by two dogs in the Igando area of Lagos State about a month ago, has worsened in the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja where he is currently receiving treatment, Punch reports.
His father, Odia Abraham,on Wednesday, October 29, 2014, disclosed that the little boy’s scalp which the two German shepherd dogs ripped off during the brutal attack was deteriorating as it emitted some offensive odour which keeps the family so worried.
He added that the hospital had failed to issue them a medical report of his condition which is needed by the Delta state Government and some other concerned people.
Odio Abraham said, “My boy still complains of pains in different parts of his body. Also, when they open the bandage on his head, you will see that there is no much difference. It’s still like the first time the incident happened.
“In fact, for up to two weeks no consultant or doctor attended to him, and his head started smelling.
“We have been told he may still have to be admitted for six months or up to one year, for the doctors to do a skin-grafting surgery on his open skull. They will cut skin from parts of his body, to cover up the skull.”
Meanwhile, against the directives issued to the hospital by the state government not to collect any money from the family, the aggrieved father disclosed that he had been paying the bills for his son’s treatment all the while.
It was learnt that the family had spent over N100,000 which was gathered through a fundraising exercise organized by a non-governmental organisation for the victim’s drugs.
When the hospital management learnt about Abraham’s complaints, they were so bitter that they accused the father of taking advantage of the poor boy’s plight to raise money for himself.
In addition, Odio Abraham revealed that the management held a meeting with him on Tuesday, October 28, 2014.
He said, “The Lagos State Government, through its Ministry of Health, has already played its part by writing a letter to LASUTH that it would foot all the bills for which we are grateful.
“But when the letter got to them, they did not implement it. I was still buying the drugs till yesterday (Tuesday) that I was exhausted and I cried out that I did not have any money to buy drugs again.
“That was when the management of the hospital led by the Chief Medical Director, apologised and promised to start implementing the state government’s order.
“I have decided to wait for at least a week and see if they will change, like they promised.”
He added, “The real issue I have now is that they (LASUTH) have not released the medical report which I asked for since October 16. They (LASUTH) have been directing me from one person to another and I am getting tired. If I see the report, I will know what exactly to do about this issue.”
However, calls and text messages sent to the LASUTH Public Relations Officer, Dele Johnson,in a bid to know his take on the issue were all ignored.
