Copyright bizwatchnigeria
The Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abeokuta, Ogun State, has launched an investigation into an incident in which a dental procedure was abruptly halted midway following a power outage, leaving a patient in excruciating pain. The incident occurred on Monday during a tooth extraction procedure on a patient identified as Opeyemi Taofeekah. According to reports, the attending dentist, identified simply as Dr. Adedoyin, was performing the surgery when electricity suddenly went off. The situation was compounded by the failure of the hospital’s backup generator, forcing the doctor to suspend the operation. Speaking with PUNCH Metro over the phone, Taofeekah said the dentist had already made an incision in her gum when the lights went out. “He had already cut my gum and was about to remove the tooth when the light went off. The pain is unbearable,” she lamented tearfully. “The doctor told me to come back on Wednesday because power might not be restored until two days later.” Taofeekah added that after leaving the hospital, she sought help at a private clinic but was turned down because of her swollen gum and the incomplete surgery. Despite taking pain relievers, she said the discomfort and inflammation persisted. Her caregiver, Adegoke Idris, who accompanied her to the hospital, described the experience as “both painful and shocking.” “The doctor had advised the tooth removal because she’s over 25 and had recurring dental problems. But while the operation was ongoing, there was a power failure. The doctor said they couldn’t continue because the generator wasn’t working. Now she’s in pain, moving from one private hospital to another, with her face swollen and the operation incomplete,” Idris said. When contacted, the hospital’s Public Relations Officer, Segun Orisajo, said he would escalate the matter to the Acting Chief Medical Director (CMD). Later, he confirmed that the hospital had taken note of the complaint and would issue a formal response after internal consultations. “It’s somewhat complex. The situation does not rest with the dental unit alone — the power supply is also involved. We will find out why the outage occurred and whether there was a challenge with the backup system,” Orisajo explained. “It wasn’t as if the personnel to attend to her weren’t available. We need to holistically look into the issue.” The development underscores the persistent power crisis confronting public health institutions in Nigeria. Earlier this year, the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, suffered over 100 days of blackout, severely crippling operations at the nation’s premier teaching hospital. Reliable power supply remains critical to modern medical practice, especially for life-saving procedures and electrically powered surgical equipment — a gap that continues to endanger patients across the country.
