Nigerian media personality, EmmaUgolee has narrated how an Indian hospital swapped the kidney his sister donated to him with a less functional one. Ugolee shared his experience in reaction to a story shared by a Nigerian man who blamed the incompetence of staff at an Indian hospital for the death of his mother.
A few days ago, a Twitter user @tobi_marshal_ shared how his mum died “as a result of medical negligence and malpractice from a hospital in India”.
According to Tobi, his mum was diagnosed of degenerative Lumber canal stenosis with instability and scoliosis at L4-5 & L3-4. He narrated how he was “lured” from a Nigerian hospital to India where he claimed his family was deceived that they were going to spend a maximum of $10,000.
He also shared how after the surgery, his mum was still sick and they were told she had bacterial meningitis and multiple strokes.
“You see I type this message with so much pain as pray for my mother they made her go through a lot and they were unbothered I came to the realization that my mum wasn’t only the victim.
I had visited a lawyer in India and he told me he had several cases from Nigerians about hospitals there in India and that there was a case that was exactly the same with my mother and he showed me proof and I was so sad.
Please my point here is I want to tell Nigerians that India is not safe to do surgeries and treatment, they extort so much money from us and still use us as lab rats,” he wrote.
This is just sad! However, it’s nothing new. I’m not going to go into long sermon of how Nigerian leaders have failed the health sector. Become a vocal advocate, help dissuade Nigerians from going to India. The money you guys spent in India would have treated her in the US or UK!
On Friday, Ugolee who had battled kidney disease for years, corroborated @tobi_marshal_’s story. Sharing his own encounter, Emma said the Indian hospital transplanted another kidney in his body rather than the kidney donated by his sister. It wasn’t until they returned to Nigeria and he wasn’t getting better that this error was discovered.
He also mentioned that Nigerian hospitals play a part in this by referring Nigerian patients to those Indian hospitals because they get certain percentages from the hospitals.
”Excitement fuelled my mind as my sister & I headed for India in 2012 for a kidney transplant. She was a perfect match for me and we were mighty glad about that. Adding to our joy was the fact that we were going to spend $30,000 for the entire surgery. About 10% what was needed for same in America.
Google searches on the hospital’s records, all impressive. SUV airport pick up, intimidating hospital structures, 1st class treatment, all part of the packaged experience that would have the average Nigerian patient almost thanking Buddha for healthcare alien to his world.
The teeming Nigerian crowd at the lobby was like a pilgrimage for the sick.
The multi million dollar traffic from Nigeria is aided by hundreds of indian marketing officials parading Nigerian hospitals in full collaboration with Nigerian doctors who get percentages in exchange for references.
6 weeks later, we are wheeled out of the surgery room. A test called the creatinine test used to tell that the kidney was doing great was never passed. My fears were allayed by the doctor who said it would take a while. So we came home. Weeks later, the while never came. My doctor in Nigeria gets worried and orders a biopsy and a scan.
The results to my ears in his words: “Emmanuel there is no way in God’s green earth that this is your sisters kidney inside you. Not with size and functionality.” So it was that my sisters kidney was swapped during the surgery.
Made sense when the hospital among many others in India had to face a special committee investigating organ black market deals.
6 months later, my legs are all swollen as i lay on my back for my 1st restart session of dialysis.
And so the horror hit the refresh button for me to re-live.
My story is one out of hundreds of Indian trips gone wrong. I am blessed to be telling my story. Many of my friends cannot because they died.
I have no faith in Govt. so this post it not even hoping for her to act. I am just hoping somehow, that the fallacy that India is salvation for the sick is changed.
It is a big business with the traditional Indian corruption at the core of it. Life often the sacrifice paid. Treatment is secondary. Examples abound.
Emma Ugolee.”
