Why the National Hospital did not inform court of Olisa Metuh’s transfer to Lagos

Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja had on Friday accused the National Hospital of treating the court “with levity” by not informing it of the transfer of Olisa Metuh, former spokesperson to the Peoples Democratic Party, to a Lagos hospital.



The failure of the National Hospital in Abuja to inform a federal court of , was because the hospital could not issue a referral to a “junior” hospital, Mr. Metuh’s lawyer has said.


Mr. Metuh is currently standing trial for alleged corruption and the court had earlier turned down his application to travel abroad for medical treatment after the referral abroad was issued by the National Hospital.

The court had to adjourn Friday after it was informed of Mr. Metuh’s transfer to Lagos.

But the judge said the National Hospital did not write the court notifying it of the transfer.
He hinted at conspiracy and warned that “heads will roll” if he ordered the probe of the Abuja hospital.

But Mr. Metuh’s lawyer, Emeka Etiaba, said the management of the National Hospital declined to issue a recommendation letter or write the court because the hospital had earlier recommended Mr. Metuh to a foreign hospital, which it believed was the best option for the PDP leader.
According to Mr. Etiaba, the hospital management believed it was the best hospital in the country and would not refer a patient to a “smaller” hospital.


He however said the new hospital, where Mr. Metuh was being treated, The Lagos University Teaching Hospital, had written to the court.

“The National Hospital stated clearly that they are number one in Nigria, and that they cannot refer a person they had advised to go and get treatment in a foreign hospital, to a lower hospital in Nigeria.

“The situation we find ourselves is similar to that in the Bible where it was recorded that God swore by his name because there was no higher being, by whose name he could swear,” said Mr. Etiaba.
The letter from the new hospital said Mr. Metuh’s condition was critical, requiring urgent evaluation and further action.

“He is currently on strict bed rest. He is to have an MRI on the thoraco lumber and lumbo sacral spines,” the letter said. “The result of which will be useful for further evacuation and management expectedly over the next 2-3 weeks.”