How Akin Olugbade lost battle to Covid19 despite paying for N10m hospital bed space

New details have emerged on some of the difficulties the late Bolu Akin-Olugbade went through before he finally gave up the ghost from COVID19.

One of such difficulties was the inability to get a bed space for the late Rolls Royce Connoisseur to be admitted for COVID19 treatment and how the family ended up paying N10m for a bed space at Paelon Memorial Hospital, Lagos, where the billionaire gave up the ghost.

According to Sunmade Akin-Olugbade, brother to the late socialite, Bolu Akin-Olugbade who had been away for most of 2020, arrived in Nigeria from London in October hale and hearty, about a month after he (Sunmade) also came into the country. However, he said his efforts to stop the part loving socialite from attending parties amid the coronavirus pandemic proved abortive, as the deceased always claimed he had his face mask on.

Speaking to Asabe Afrika TV, Sunmade an economist said, “During the Owu festival in Abeokuta, he went there. He attended parties in Lagos. He made up with his old friends. On Christmas day, he was with his younger brother and his wife at Ikoyi in Lagos.

”Bolu was doing fine until New Year’s Eve when he complained that he was feeling unwell. His family members initially sent him kola, ginger among other local herbs. He said he had already taken them but was finding it difficult to breathe. So, we arranged for someone to take oxygen to him at the house but had to rush him to the hospital in an ambulance when his condition deteriorated.

He added that upon arriving at the hospital, they could not get a bed space for Bolu despite the deceased’s personality. According to him, Bolu was considered only after they had paid the said amount.

“Everywhere was filled up, in Lagos here. The situation with this pandemic is really serious. We had to pay N10 million to get into Paelon hospital. It’s not about the money now, what I’m saying is that if someone of high networth could not get a bed, what do you think will happen to ordinary citizens,” he said.

Sunmade also called for holistic measures by the Nigerian government to tackle the novel disease, adding that the country is already in a crisis situation.

“There are a lot of people dying that are not being reported, that is the honest truth. We are in a crisis situation in the country right now. I don’t think the government is galvanising and mobilising people to handle the situation,” he added.

“It’s already getting out of hand. We are lucky that the weather is in our favour. But despite that, we still have a crisis situation.”

The Street Journal had reported that Bolu Akin Olugbade died of complications from the virus on January 13, a week after celebrating his 40th wedding anniversary.