‘Our staff didn’t film Rico Swavey on deathbed’ — Lagos hospital breaks silence

The management of Doren Specialist Hospital in Ajah, Lagos has broken its silence on the death of Rico Swavey, the 2018 BBNaija housemate.

Swavey died on Thursday — a few days after he was involved in a ghastly car accident.

Since Swavey’s death, the hospital has been at the receiving end of heated backlash after footage of the reality star’s last moments surfaced online.

A nurse in the hospital was accused of filming Swavey on his deathbed with some social media users blaming the medical facility for Swavey’s death.

The Lagos state government also launched an investigation into the matter.

But in a statement on Friday, the hospital said its staff was not behind the now-viral clip as claimed.

The facility said when the reality star was brought on Tuesday, doctors swiftly attended to him.

It added that the singer was later referred to another hospital where he eventually died.

It further said a friend of Swavey and the “good Samaritan” who rushed him to hospital recorded the video to “exonorate” themselves.

“An unknown patient, a victim of RTA was rushed to Doren Specialist Hospital around 1:45am on Tuesday 11 October, 2022. On arriving at out gate, the security personnel promptly called the nurse who reviewed and called the doctor. The doctor saw a deeply unconscious patient with Glasgow Coma Scale of 3/15, smelling of alcohol,” the statement reads.

“The doctor ordered that the patient be brought into the Accident and Emergency unit where he was found to be bleeding from the ear, nose and mouth, and also vomiting copiously (mainly recently ingested meal).

“The airway was cleared and suctioned, oxygen administration was commenced, blood pressure read 130/85mmHg, Spo2-93% on oxygen and 85% off oxygen. Intravenous fluid 5% dextrose saline and 0.9% normal saline was set up, injection hydrocortisone and injection Diclofenac administered (the face mask, oxygen cylinder and intravenous line can be seen on the trending video on the internet).

“Efforts were made to trace his family and one female friend of his (Miss Ify Helen Eze, phone no- 07061694680) came into the facility to see him.

“She and the good Samaritan who brought the patient was told of the severity of his condition and the need of urgent neurosurgical review and also the need to be referred to Evercare hospital. Miss Ify Helen Eze fainted on seeing his condition and she had to be resuscitated.

“A detailed referral letter was written and given to the relations. After an initial reluctance, they accepted the letter. But before leaving the 2 of them (Miss Ify and the Good Samaritan) decided to make a video to exonerate themselves from being implicated as being responsible for the patient’s condition.

“Most likely Miss Ify Helen Eze and her partner (Good Samaritan) are the people who videoed and posted on social media for reasons best known to them.

“Doren Nurses pleaded with them to help take the patient to the vehicle and stop videoing. At no point in time did a Doren staff video the patient or laugh.

“One of the nurses spoke in Hausa trying to persuade them to assist in moving the patient who has already been positioned on our stair chair ready to be moved to the vehicle, instead they kept videoing.

“The following morning, our nurses reached out to Miss Ify Helen Eze to find out about the current condition of the patient and we were told patient was currently hospitalised and receiving care in Evercare Hospital.

“72hours after the referral from Doren Specialist Hospital, we were shocked to hear that the young man had passed on. Doren and it staff empathise with the family of the deceased.

“We have discussed with the Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMMA) who is looking into the case and the Police at Ajiwe, Ajah who have called Miss Ify Helen Eze to confirm if she was the one who put the video on social media.”