Gynescope: Referral of Doctors Not Proof of Negligence

 

The Gynescope Specialist Hospital has urged the public to avoid treating the referral of four of its doctors to a disciplinary tribunal as proof of medical negligence in the death of a 32-year-old woman, Mrs Lovelyn Akudo John.

John died on December 4, 2025, hours after delivering a live baby at the hospital in Lekki, Lagos. She was subsequently transferred to another facility, where she was pronounced dead.

The hospital also maintained that medical personnel closely monitored the patient, administering five units of blood, fluids and medication, while consulting a surgeon and anaesthetist.

It further disputed allegations concerning the availability of oxygen and an alleged fall from a stretcher, citing CCTV footage as evidence.

The hospital said the Medical and Dental Practitioners Investigation Panel's October decision to refer four doctors to the Disciplinary Tribunal was not a determination of guilt.

It stressed that a referral only establishes a prima facie case requiring formal hearing, adding that neither a court nor a disciplinary tribunal had established medical negligence.

While acknowledging the family's right to seek answers, the hospital called for evidence-based reporting and urged the public to allow due process to take its course.