Lifebridge Medical Diagnostics: Report Of Unprofessionalism, Bullying, Intimidation & Misogyny -By Gloria Braimah

Happy New Year!

My name is Gloria Braimah.
I am a Lawyer, a Recording Artiste/Creative and a Social Impact Advocate for children and young people.

I am visiting Abuja briefly.

Nova Medi Clinic had scheduled me for an MRI at your establishment on the 31st of December, 2020 for 9am.
I was there bright and early at 8.57am prompt.
I waited patiently to be attended to.
When it was nearly noon, I was told that the laboratory was still not ready.

Your staff on duty pleaded with me and mentioned that he had re-scheduled my appointment for Saturday by 9am prompt.He even went as far as giving me his personal number for this purpose.

I mentioned to him that if this was the case that I would move my flight already scheduled to leave for Lagos so that I could get the MRI done and see my Doctor afterwards.
I need to reiterate that getting this MRI done is the sole reason why I have stayed on in Abuja so far.

I arrived at Lifebridge by 8.30am prompt on Saturday,January 2nd,2020.
I even reached out to the male front desk personnel (name unknown) who had already given me his contact details by sending him a text message prior to the time that I came, to say that I was already en route.

The facility was still locked and I sat outside waiting for it to be opened.
At about 8.55am, a lovely and courteous lady walked up to me saying that she recognised me from the first day that I came for the initial appointment and ushered me into the clinic.

She directed me to the waiting area and prepping began in the laboratory area with initial questioning and weight checks following standard procedure.

I was told to go back to a waiting room for a few minutes.
While there, a burly man walked in unexpectedly and started verbally harassing and intimidating the staff in the lab area.

He kept insisting that he should be the first person to be attended to.
He had an orderly and a soldier and for nearly 20 minutes kept raising his voice and following us about while I was being prepped.
He threatened to make trouble.
His voice was the only voice raised throughout this ordeal while the staff tried to placate him.

Afterwards, i was more amazed to have the staff come to placate me to let the burly man go in before me.I was shocked to the marrow.
Why the sudden turn of events?

I refused for the following reasons:

1. I was already scheduled for a 9am appointment
2. I was not late for this said appointment.
3. There was absolutely no rhyme or reason to let anyone use force or bullying tactics to unduly have their way when i was already being prepped for the session.
4.What is right is always the right thing to do.

At this point in time, I spoke up for the first time and mentioned that I would not accept to be treated in this manner.

While this was going on, another courteous gentleman (Dr Adichie) approached me to ask what the matter was, while I was seeking to explain to him my side of the story, another person passing by where I stood ( whom i later found out is named ‘Dr Emeka’ (surname not known) started flaying his hands on the corridor and raising his voice loudly at me. He shouted angrily
‘Give her the refund and let her go jor’ amongst other things.

I would like to state that this ‘Dr Emeka’ had stood quietly with arms folded with the burly man who had been shouting all that while.I noticed him with the crowd of people who had gathered around the man.I did not know who he was until he displayed his unprofessional conduct towards me later on. His actions took us all by surprise.

I was shocked at his cold and abrasive action which made a bad situation even worse.It got me emotional and I started weeping on the spot.

His lack of empathy and wanton disregard for me as a person and moreso because he had never even sought to engage me in any form of conversation was evident to all. Such behaviour is reminiscent of touts and area boys in the marketplace.
To hear that he bears the title of ‘Doctor’ begs to question.

Another lady patient standing there with me could not hide her disbelief.She came over to comfort me and told him that his actions were uncalled for. We both asked him why he did not quieten the bully who had been making trouble and instead found it easier to ‘get rid of the easier target’.

I asked him amidst my tears to justify why he had to speak to me in such a cold and abrasive manner.
He kept walking past in utter disregard without even uttering an apology still speaking loudly back at me, even when Dr Adichie and the other staff were trying to calm things down.
There were many witnesses who can corroborate this event and my side of the story.
I was visibly shaken and called my Dr who came to pick me up.
It is even noteworthy that this same ‘Dr Emeka’ saw me again standing outside long after our encounter and did not even deem it fit to still apologise. I actually called him out on that before my Dr and i drove out of the establishment.

In retrospect, i seemed like an obvious choice to be intimidated.Smaller in size compared to the big and burly fellow. Less intimidating because I was wearing a tshirt and sneakers compared to the man who had the trappings of power surrounding him. Perhaps also, a woman that can be hushed at will because a man’s voice is seemingly louder.

On this matter though, I will not be quiet on the grounds of principle.I will speak out against this.

This should never happen to anyone regardless of their gender, tribe, or social status.
Every human being is deserving of respect and should be treated fairly.
The core values of medical excellence and professionalism that LifeBridge claims it embodies has not been reflected in this encounter.
Where is the heart? Where is the compassion?
We talk about making Nigeria great but it is actions like this that show us that we are not yet ready.

As a Nigerian woman and as a paying customer,
I felt bullied, insulted and marginalised.
I felt acute and painful embarrassment.
I felt the sharpest sting of misogyny.
I have been greatly inconvenienced.
I have spent a lot of time, energy and resources attempting to get this procedure done twice in a row all to no avail.

I am making this initial formal complaint and my Legal team at Anchor & Stern is copied for the purpose.

I trust that you will handle this with the sensitivity and the urgency that this requires.

Thank you.

Yours Faithfully,

Gloria Braimah (Barrister)