Lasisi Elenu Blasts Nigeria’s Healthcare System, Says Patients Are ‘One Sickness Away From The Grave’

Nigerian comedian Lasisi Elenu has criticised Nigeria’s healthcare system, claiming that patients in need of urgent medical attention are sometimes left helpless because of a lack of bed spaces and inadequate facilities.

Lasisi made the criticism in an emotional video while calling on President Bola Tinubu, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo Olu and other state governors to urgently address the challenges facing the country’s healthcare sector.

The comedian questioned why patients seeking emergency treatment at federal hospitals could be turned away because there were no available beds.

“I have seen people experience things in this country called Nigeria and it just lets you know that you are one sickness away from the grave,” he said.

Lasisi also recalled the circumstances surrounding his mother’s death in 2022, alleging that she was moved between federal hospitals while his family was repeatedly told there was “no bed space”.

He further criticised what he described as the treatment some patients and their families receive from medical workers, while expressing concern over the increasing number of Nigerian doctors leaving the country.

“Before you can get a bed space in a federal government hospital in Nigeria, you have to know somebody that knows somebody that knows somebody,” he said.

The comedian called for better equipped hospitals, improved coordination among healthcare facilities and a system that prioritises human lives, particularly during medical emergencies.