The Ekiti State Government has dismissed a surgeon at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH) following allegations of the removal of a patient’s kidney.
The dismissal followed the findings of a seven-member panel of inquiry chaired by Professor Francis Faduyile, which was constituted about two weeks ago to investigate claims of organ harvesting made by a patient, Joshua Afolayan, who underwent surgery at the hospital.
Announcing the decision in a statement on Friday, the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Oyebanji Filani, said the action was based on the panel’s report.
Dr. Filani clarified that the panel concluded the incident was a surgical complication and not organ harvesting for ritual purposes, as earlier alleged. Despite this, he said the surgeon who had primary responsibility for the procedure has been dismissed with immediate effect.
According to the commissioner, all members of the surgical team present in the operating theater on the day of the surgery have also been suspended for one month, pending further administrative review.
He added that the Ekiti State Government would take full responsibility for Mr. Afolayan’s medical care, including bearing the cost of a kidney transplant, post-transplant treatment, and related medical maintenance for two years.
The commissioner assured residents of the state government’s commitment to accountability and to preventing a recurrence of such incidents in public health facilities.
