The Osun State Commissioner of Women, Children and Social Affairs, Mrs Olubukola Olaboopo has lamented how she was rudely barred from taking pictures with patient that attempted suicide when she visited the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital (LAUTECH) in Osogbo.

Mrs Olubukola Olaboopo was allegedly stopped by staff of the hospital from taking photos with a suicide patient in the school hospital, which resulted to mild drum within the premises of the teaching hospital.

The Commissioner visited the hospital to check on Mrs Kafayat Adetunji, the woman who attempted suicide by jumping into Osun river as widely reported on Thursday, 2nd of April, 2020 in Osogbo.

According to the report, Olaboopo attempted to take picture with Adetuni but was stopped by some medical workers on duty at the hospital, and the commissioner was said to have irked by the resistance of workers that later degenerated into a free for all which led to the damage of camera and phone belonging to her Personal Assistant, therefore creating tension in the hospital.

In reaction, expressing her distress, Mrs Olubukola Olaboopo took to Facebook narrating how medical workers at LAUTECH were unruly to her.

I was at the LAUTECH teaching hospital today in respect of the lady who jumped into Osun river. But I was puzzled at the level of hostility the staff members displayed against us. The camera we had to cover the event was smashed by one of the doctors, Dr. Isola of the psychiatry ward. We left the place embarrassed.

While reacting to the allegation, the LAUTECHTH management in a statement signed by it’s spokesperson, Ayodele Adeyemo on Tuesday, refuted the claims that workers behaved unruly to the commissioner.

The statement said after the allegation was made, the management of the hospital instituted a panel headed by a Senior Consultant with membership comprising health professionals in the hospital to investigate the matter. From findings, the commissioner had conflicted with medical ethics, stating that the hospital would always abide by the medical ethics for its patients.

And also that the commissioner was told to stop taking pictures but didn’t respond well to it.

The statement reads, “The attention of Management of LAUTECH teaching hospital Osogbo has been drawn to a trending message on social media purportedly on allegation of uncooperative disposition by some staff of the hospital during the visit of Hon Olaboopo Olubukola, Commissioner for Women Affairs, State of Osun to a patient under critical emergency condition who attempted suicide by jumping into Osun river. On the reportage of the incident, there were some misrepresentations making this rejoinder necessary.”

“The facts of the case are as follows: When the matter was brought to the attention of Management, a panel headed by a Senior Consultant with membership comprising of other health professionals in the hospital was constituted. The Panel considered both oral and written evidence on medical management of the patient in addition to eye witness corroboration by patient’s relations.”

“The Panel confirmed that in truth the aide of the Commissioner took the photographs of the patient while the patient was been attended to against medical ethics guiding the confidentiality of a patient even when the medical team cautioned against such an act. This directive not to take photographs of the patient did not go well with the Commissioner.”

“It needs be stressed that the medical team followed all known ethical principles in the management of the patient by refusing taking picture of the traumatized patient at that particular time. The confidentiality of a patient is sacrosanct. There was no evidence that the aide’s camera was neither seized nor damaged. “Members of the public are advised to follow medical ethics always and cooperate with health care givers for efficient management of their patients.”

“Management of LAUTECH Teaching Hospital Osogbo is committed to ethical conduct that is comparable to international standard. It is reinstated that the facilities in the hospital will always be deployed to enhance the quality health care program of the government of State of Osun,” LAUTECH Management said.