The management of Nizamiye Hospital, Abuja, has denied claims that it refused to perform a critical medical procedure on former Senator Ibrahim Musa Kontagora over an alleged shortfall in payment, insisting that no surgery was scheduled and the hospital was not responsible for the advanced stem cell therapy that had been recommended.

Senator Kontagora, who represented Niger North Senatorial District from 2011 to 2015, died at the hospital after falling into a coma that lasted over a week.

The clarification was made by the Public Relations Officer of the Hospital, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar while reacting to a report by an online medium alleging that the hospital declined a life-saving surgery because the family failed to pay the full $30,000 bill.

In a telephone conversation with Mr. Abubakar, he explained that the hospital does not charge in dollars and the day the patient was brought to the hospital, from another hospital, he was immediately admitted, and a shunt procedure was done to relieve blood clotting in the brain.

“There was no surgery planned. The only procedure he had done here was a shunt, and that had been completed,” the hospital official said. “What followed was only a doctor’s advice to try stem cell treatment, which we don’t even perform in-house.”

The hospital said the stem cell procedure was entirely external, typically coordinated with international medical professionals, and that the facility only connects interested families with the providers.

“We don’t do stem cell treatments here. It’s handled by specialists from abroad. The patient’s relatives even called yesterday asking if we could assist in contacting the specialists,” the representative added.

On the allegation of partial payment for the treatment, the hospital dismissed the claim outright.

“There’s no record of any $15,000 payment for stem cell or any outstanding balance. In fact, the family still has funds left in the patient’s hospital account,” the hospital source stated. “If anyone insists there was a pending surgery or payment issue, let them come forward with proof.”

The hospital also stressed that no advance payment was demanded for any in-house surgery or treatment following the shunt procedure and wishes to advise the public to disregard the malicious publication by the online medium whose motive is yet to be ascertained. (Daily Trust, excluding headline)