The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday revealed that detained Binance Executive, Tigran Gambaryan rejected the medical intervention offered to him by the State House Clinic.
News About Nigeria reports that the anti-graft agency made the revelation during Wednesday’s appearance at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The counsel for the EFCC, Ekele Iheanacho, while opposing Gambaryan’s second bail application moved by his lawyer, Mark Mordi told Justice Emeka Nwite that though Gambaryan’s ill-health was not as bad as it was being painted, he refused to accept the State House Clinic’s medical attention.
To buttress the claim, the EFCC lawyer drew the attention of the court to the State House Clinic’s medical report which showed how Gambaryan rejected the medical attention.
According to the State House Annex Clinic’s medical report dated 29 August, the clinic received a directive on 17 July, to conduct a preliminary medical evaluation on Mr Gambaryan and possibly retrieve him from Kuje Correctional Facility for a more detailed medical examination.
The report also stated that a medical team comprising a doctor, a nurse, and support staff was dispatched for the assignment, adding that, given the patient’s medical history and worsening symptoms, a neurosurgeon was called to review the patient on 18 July.
The report partly reads, “The neurosurgeon’s findings were consistent with the MRI report of early multilevel disc disease with exit nerve root impingement at L4/L5. To relieve symptoms and avoid further potential complications, the neurosurgeon placed Gambaryan on medication, advised physiotherapy, and strongly recommended lumbar discectomy surgery as soon as possible. These findings and recommendations were consistent with those of a second neurosurgeon whose opinion was sought.
“The patient was however dissatisfied with the medical interventions being offered, insisting that a court had ordered that he should be treated at Nizamiye Hospital. Consequently, he intermittently refused prescribed medications and food to force a transfer out of the facility. He was subsequently discharged and returned to the Nigerian Correctional Service at around 1300 hours on July 21, 2024, with no obvious deterioration in his health during the five-day admission period.”
