SaharaReporters gathered that the incident happened on November 8, 2021, when a team of HEFAMAA officials led by Idowu visited the health facility in an unannounced routine monitoring and supervision exercise.
The Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA), Abiola Idowu has been accused of slapping the Medical Director of King Solomon Hospital in Anthony Village, Dr Abiola Oladosu and an unnamed manager of the hospital’s laboratory.
SaharaReporters gathered that the incident happened on November 8, 2021, when a team of HEFAMAA officials led by Idowu visited the health facility in an unannounced routine monitoring and supervision exercise.
It was learnt that the medical director, a 73-year-old medical practitioner, out of courtesy opted to conduct the team around the facility.
While performing the inspection and supervision of the medical facility, the executive secretary, who is a medical doctor and not a laboratory scientist, alleged without basis, that the hospital laboratory was dirty and the medical equipment therein was not correctly calibrated.
Upon noticing that the exercise was being recorded, SaharaReporters gathered that Idowu became uncomfortable, unnecessarily aggressive and violent to the laboratory manager.
Specifically, without a reason, she slapped the manager holding the mobile phone used for recording the exercise, knocking the phone out of his hand.
Dr Oladosu, in an attempt to defuse the situation and avert further physical abuse, was also assaulted by Idowu and her HEFAMAA team.
The 73-year-old medical practitioner was slapped to the chagrin of his staff and the patients of the hospital who witnessed the ugly and embarrassing incident.
“The team alleged that the lab is dirty and machine not calibrated. The manager of the lab, who happens to be Dr. Oladosu's son was recording the proceeding so that any corrections specified by the monitoring team will not be missed and to capture everything happening,” a witness told SaharaReporters.
“On noticing the recording, the ES became aggressive and slapped the manager. Dr. Oladosu was said to have tried to avert further slaps on the man by holding the ES hand which earned him his own slap. Dr. Oladosu went to the ministry to report the assault.
“Meanwhile, the ES went to report at Anthony Police Station that she was assaulted and the doctor was invited but was released by the police after the video evidence showed that she was the one who carried out an unprovoked attack. The ES was detained. A petition was written by the association (Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners) to the Commissioner of Health but yet to be replied to or addressed till date.
“Unsatisfied with the action taken by the police at Anthony Police Station, the ES took the case to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Panti. The case was changed to the ministry of health Vs King Solomon hospital. And was to be charged to court to rush the judgement and take Dr. Oladosu to prison but for the intervention of a known lawyer to Dr. Oladosu who read the IPO statement and quickly contacted the IG.
“After extensive deliberation at the State Executive Council meeting today, many actions have been slated which will be made known to members as event unfolds. Suffice here to say that all of us should be ready to follow through. An injury to one is an injury to all.”
Meanwhile, a source in the AGPMPN told SaharaReporters that HEFAMAA was in the habit of extorting money from owners of laboratories, in the name of supervision.
It was further learnt that Dr. Oladosu's aversion to bribery, made him a target of intimidation by officials of HEFAMAA.
"HEFAMAA officials are known for going about to collect bribes from lab owners but we don't 'settle' and they know, we have always had issues with them. All the owners of laboratories in Lagos know them; they know once they come, they are there to collect money," the source said.
"That is why the AGPMPN has risen in one voice to fight the harassment by HEFAMAA on its members. And they have got a top lawyer to fight the case and will be demanding N40 million in damages, and every year, an interest of 10 percent."
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government had vowed to investigate the alleged assault by the monitoring agency.
“The attention of the Lagos State Ministry of Health (the “Ministry of Health”) has been drawn to a video and allegations emanating from an incident involving officials of one of our agencies, the Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA), and the management of King Solomon Hospital, Anthony Village,” a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso read.
“We are investigating the matter. It will be improper and premature to comment on the facts of the incident at this time.
“However, we seek to emphasize that the Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of Health, is charged with ensuring the safety of citizens by monitoring the quality of healthcare services provided by all public and private health facilities within Lagos State. We remain strongly committed to the diligent performance of our statutory duties.”