A Nigerian doctor has shared how a patient who was almost dead just a day earlier allegedly caused a scene and ran away from the hospital without completing his medical bill.
The doctor, known as Dr. Spunky, posted the incident on X (formerly Twitter), calling it the “most traumatizing” experience of his career.
According to the doctor, the patient, a 35-year-old man, was rushed to the hospital in Abijo, Lagos, with only 8% Packed Cell Volume (PCV) due to serious internal bleeding.
“He was so weak he couldn’t even lift a finger,” the doctor wrote.
Dr. Spunky explained that the hospital quickly began treatment, including giving him four units of fresh blood, which helped to save his life.
But the next day, instead of settling the remaining ₦100,000 on his medical bill, the patient returned to the hospital with over 20 area boys (agberos) in a bus.
“They came in, caused violence, beat up the gateman who tried to lock the gate, and in the middle of the chaos, the patient pointed at me and said, ‘Shey na you cause this thing, you dey craze!’” the doctor said.
He said he was in shock and almost passed out from the emotional stress.“We brought him back from the grave, and this is how he repaid us. It’s heartbreaking,” he added.
The doctor noted that the group of hoodlums insulted the hospital staff, destroyed property, and made away with the patient — leaving almost half of the bill unpaid.
He also expressed frustration about how hospitals are often blamed when they ask for payment before treatment.
“This is why many hospitals insist on deposits before touching a patient. If we had refused him treatment, people would call us wicked. But look at what happened when we tried to help.”
He ended his post with disappointment that he could not capture the incident on video due to how overwhelmed he was. “Wetin pain me pass be say I no video the whole scene. I was high on emotions,” he said.
The incident happened not far from Lakowe, where another hospital-related case involving a pregnant woman recently went viral.
