A routine medical procedure during a stroke emergency has left a Lagos-based cleric and architect with a life-altering injury, immense pain, and a staggering hospital bill exceeding N4.4 million. Alfred Ogene's ordeal at R-Jolad Hospital in Gbagada, Lagos, highlights critical patient safety concerns in Nigeria's healthcare system.
From Stroke to Severe Urethral Injury
Alfred Ogene was admitted to R-Jolad Hospital on November 15, 2025, after suddenly losing movement in his right arm and leg, a condition diagnosed as a stroke. Due to immobility, a urinary catheter was inserted. However, Ogene soon noticed complications, with urine leaking onto his body. After nurses changed the catheter, he experienced excruciating pain in his groin.
"I called her four times. By the fourth time, I had to shout because my stomach and groin had swollen badly. I felt my life was slipping away," Ogene recounted. His complaints were initially dismissed as normal. When doctors finally attended to him, blood spilled upon catheter removal, revealing a serious problem.
Non-urology doctors attempted to manage the crisis by draining urine from his bladder with syringes. A urologist only reviewed his case three days later, by which time a suprapubic catheter had to be inserted. Medical scans later confirmed a rupture of the bulbar urethra, a severe injury often caused by traumatic catheterisation.
Mounting Bills and a Lack of Accountability
The financial and emotional toll on the Ogene family has been devastating. The hospital bill climbed to over N4.4 million, including an additional N750,000 charged for the urological procedure to address the hospital-induced injury. "The damage they caused was worse than the stroke I came in with," Ogene stated.
Following his discharge on November 27, 2025, the family received no follow-up from the hospital regarding the complication, only an automated reminder for a neurology consultation days later. A formal letter from the family requesting an explanation yielded only brief sympathy, not concrete engagement. Efforts by The Guardian to get an official response from R-Jolad Hospital were unsuccessful.
Medical Experts Weigh In on Catheter Risks
Medical practitioners explain that while urinary catheterisation is generally safe, errors can have grave consequences, especially for male patients. Dr. Martins outlined common causes of injury:
- Poor lubrication during insertion.
- Inflating the catheter balloon before it enters the bladder, causing rupture.
- Failing to fully deflate the balloon before removal.
"If the catheter does not get properly into the bladder and the balloon is inflated along the tract, it could cause injury and bleeding," Martins explained.
Jama Medan, Chairman of the National Association of Nurses, emphasised that catheter insertion is a sterile procedure requiring patient consent and strict protocol. He noted that difficulty is more common in patients with conditions like an enlarged prostate, requiring immediate doctor notification.
Nurse Elizabeth Adeosun from Isolo General Hospital stressed the duty of nurses to escalate persistent patient complaints. "Nurses must pay close attention and not ignore patient complaints... If a patient continues to complain of severe pain... the nurse is required to escalate the matter to the physician," she stated.
For Alfred Ogene, the injury means dependence on a permanent catheter, hindering his stroke physiotherapy and halting his pastoral and architectural work. His case stands as a stark reminder of the human cost of medical errors and the urgent need for accountability and improved safety protocols in Nigerian healthcare.
