Gombe hospital denies removing patient’s kidney during C-section

The management of the State Specialist Hospital, Gombe, has strongly denied allegations circulating on social media that its doctors unlawfully removed the kidney of a patient, Mrs Barira Alhassan, during a Caesarean section performed in May 2026.

In a statement obtained on Sunday, the hospital described the allegation, made by the patient’s brother, Mr Zakaria Alhassan, as “false, malicious, reckless and unsupported by medical evidence.”

“The allegations are entirely false, misleading and unsupported by medical facts, clinical evidence and the hospital records,” the management stated.

According to the hospital, theatre records show that Mrs Alhassan only underwent an emergency Caesarean section, stressing that “at no point was any procedure involving the kidneys undertaken by the surgical team.”

The hospital further disclosed that, following concerns raised by the family, it sponsored a CT intravenous urogram (CT-IVU) at a Federal Teaching Hospital to determine the patient’s condition.

“The CT-IVU findings were consistent with a likely congenital absence of one kidney, with associated abnormalities involving the ureter on the other side. These findings strongly support a developmental condition rather than any surgical removal of a kidney,” the statement said.

The management noted that it paid for the investigation “in the spirit of helping out to reveal the truth.”

The hospital said it had met with the patient’s family on two occasions to explain the findings and review the clinical records and investigation results.

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It added that, at the family’s request, arrangements were made for a repeat investigation at another independent medical facility.

“All parties agreed to this request, and the management is still waiting for the family to present the new investigation results as agreed during our last meeting,” the statement added.

The hospital condemned what it described as a social media campaign aimed at tarnishing its reputation and undermining public confidence in healthcare professionals.

“The ongoing allegations are false, reckless, defamatory and intended to mislead the public, damage the reputation of the hospital and undermine public confidence in healthcare professionals who work tirelessly to save lives,” it said.

Reaffirming confidence in its medical personnel, the management maintained that no kidney was removed during the Caesarean section.

“We wish to reassure the general public that no kidney was removed from the patient during the Caesarean section performed at our facility. The available clinical evidence, radiological findings and documented records overwhelmingly contradict the allegations being circulated.”

The hospital also warned that while it remained open to lawful investigations by relevant authorities, it would pursue legal and administrative action against individuals or groups found to be deliberately spreading defamatory information.

It urged members of the public to disregard the allegations and rely only on verified facts and official communications.