A woman has accused a medical practitioner in Lagos of removing her womb without her consent.
The incident allegedly took place at Holyfill Hospital, located in the Ikorodu area of Lagos. The accuser, Mrs. Okeafor Suzan, claims that she had an operation at the hospital for fibroid removal, but later discovered that her entire womb had been removed without her knowledge or permission.
According to Mrs. Okeafor, she visited Holyfill Hospital on February 16, 2024, to consult with the managing director, Dr. Ayelaje Joseph, who is also a gynecologist. She explained that she had been managing a fibroid for several years and wanted it removed.
However, Mrs. Okeafor alleges that Dr. Joseph immediately suggested removing her entire womb, a proposal she firmly rejected. She stated that previous scans had advised against a full hysterectomy since the fibroid was a single, symptomatic one.
Despite her objections, Mrs. Okeafor claims that the doctor proceeded with the surgery on March 29, 2024, without her consent. After the operation, she says she requested to see the removed fibroid, but was not shown anything. It was only later that the doctor casually informed her that he had, in fact, removed her entire womb.
“I was shocked and asked why. He claimed it was what we had agreed upon, but that was untrue,” Mrs. Okeafor said.
A subsequent scan allegedly confirmed that her womb had been removed without her permission, knowledge, or consent, and without any pre-counseling or post-counseling.
When contacted, Dr. Ayelaje Joseph claimed that Mrs. Okeafor had given consent for the hysterectomy, stating that she had already had two children. However, Mrs. Okeafor has vehemently denied this, insisting that no such consent was ever given.
