Nizamiye hospital denies report linking ex-senator’s death to unpaid bills

The management of Nizamiye Hospital, Abuja, has denied claims that it refused to perform a critical medical procedure on the late Ibrahim Musa, a former senator representing Niger north, due to an alleged shortfall in payment.

The former lawmaker, who served in the senate from 2011 to 2015, on the platform of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) died in Abuja on Thursday after a brief illness

An online report alleged that the hospital declined Musa life-saving surgery because his family failed to pay the full $30,000 medical bill.

Reacting to the allegation, Mohammed Abubakar, the hospital’s public relations officer (PRO), said the former lawmaker died at the facility after falling into a coma that lasted over a week.

Abubakar explained that the hospital does not charge in dollars, noting that the late Musa was immediately admitted when brought to Nizamiye.

He added that a shunt procedure was done to relieve blood clotting in his brain.

“There was no surgery planned. The only procedure he had done here was a shunt, and that had been completed,” Abubakar said.

“What followed was only a doctor’s advice to try stem cell treatment, which we don’t even perform in-house.”

According to Abubakar, the hospital does not perform the stem cell procedure but connects interested families with specialists.

“We don’t do stem cell treatments here. It’s handled by specialists from abroad. The patient’s relatives even called yesterday asking if we could assist in contacting the specialists,” he added.

He also dismissed the allegation of partial payment for the treatment, noting that the family of the deceased still has money left in his hospital account.

Abubakar added that advance payment was demanded for any in-house surgery or treatment following the shunt procedure.

He advised the public to disregard the “malicious” online report whose “motive is yet to be ascertained”.

“There’s no record of any $15,000 payment for stem cells or any outstanding balance. In fact, the family still has funds left in the patient’s hospital account,” Abubakar said.

“If anyone insists there was a pending surgery or payment issue, let them come forward with proof.”