By Adeola Kunle
A medical doctor, Olusina Ajidahun, has offered clarification on palliative care following an emotional appeal by the daughters of veteran Yoruba actor Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, who said their father is battling stage-four cancer and that hospitals had allegedly stopped further treatment.
Ajidahun, known on X as The Bearded Dr Sina, reacted on Monday to videos shared by the actor’s daughters, Lima and Kira Taiwo, warning that the claim that hospitals had “refused to treat” their father could be misunderstood and create an unfair impression of the medical professionals handling his case.
According to the doctor, patients with stage-four cancer may be placed under palliative care after chemotherapy and other available treatment options have been explored.
He explained that palliative care is designed to manage symptoms, reduce suffering and improve a patient’s quality of life when a disease has reached an advanced or terminal stage.
Reacting to one of the daughters’ statements, Ajidahun said describing the situation as a refusal by hospitals to treat the actor could wrongly suggest deliberate neglect by healthcare workers.
“When patients have stage 4 cancer and chemo and/or other therapies have been explored, there is a form of care called PALLIATIVE CARE. It is end-of-life care and care for terminal diseases because at the point of the disease you cannot treat it, but you can manage associated symptoms and give the person a good quality of life.”
He cautioned that such statements could fuel negative public sentiment against doctors and other healthcare workers, particularly given recent tensions within the health sector.
According to him, saying that medical professionals no longer wanted to treat the actor could make it appear as though they had intentionally abandoned him.
The doctor also advised the public against recommending unverified herbal remedies as treatment for advanced cancer, warning that such substances could damage other organs and worsen a patient’s condition.
He stressed that stage-four cancer means the disease has spread beyond the organ where it originally developed to other parts of the body.
Ajidahun urged patients and their families to work closely with their medical teams in determining the most appropriate course of care.
He expressed sympathy for Ogogo and his family, adding that he hoped they would receive the necessary support during the difficult period.
The doctor, however, clarified that he was not part of Hassan’s medical team and was commenting independently based on the videos shared by the actor’s daughters.
Daughters appeal for medical intervention
The clarification followed separate emotional appeals by Lima and Kira Taiwo, who disclosed that their father’s health had deteriorated significantly.
In a video posted on Instagram, Lima said the family was seeking medical assistance for the veteran actor and not financial donations.
She said they only discovered the severity of his condition about three weeks earlier, adding that his physical appearance had initially not revealed how serious his illness was.
Lima appealed to anyone with access to medical professionals or healthcare facilities capable of handling her father’s case to assist the family.
She said:
“Please, I’m begging you. If you know somebody that knows somebody that will be willing to treat him, anything, we’re willing to try anything. We’re not here to ask for money. Nobody’s here to ask for money.”
She also acknowledged the assistance the family had received from a relative during the health crisis and became emotional as she appealed for help, saying she could not bear to watch her father die.
In a separate video, Kira Taiwo also revealed that the actor’s cancer had reached stage four.
She said the family had been informed that further chemotherapy could no longer be administered, prompting her appeal for medical intervention.
Kira called on anyone who knew of a medical professional or healthcare facility that could provide cancer care to contact her, her sister or the actor.
She maintained that the family was seeking treatment rather than financial support and became emotional while describing the pain her father was experiencing.
The veteran actor, who is 66, has spent more than four decades in the Nigerian film industry and has featured in over 300 movies, making him one of the most prominent figures in Yoruba cinema.
As the family continues to seek medical support, Ajidahun has urged the public to understand the role of palliative care in managing advanced illnesses and to avoid interpreting a transition to such care as an outright refusal by hospitals to treat a patient.
Adeola Kunle
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