Doctor explains palliative care after Ogogo’s daughters raise alarm over treatment

A medical practitioner, Olusina Ajidahun, has weighed in on the health crisis surrounding veteran actor Taiwo Hassan, popularly called Ogogo, after his daughters raised concerns about his continued cancer treatment.

Ajidahun, who uses the name The Bearded Dr Sina on X, said the statement that hospitals had stopped treating the actor could be misunderstood and potentially create tension between the family and his medical team.

According to him, patients with stage-four cancer may be placed under palliative care when chemotherapy and other available treatment options have been explored.

He wrote, “They don’t want to treat my father again. This is a dangerous statement and can set the tide against the medical team treating her Dad.”

The doctor explained that palliative care is intended to ease symptoms, provide comfort and help patients with terminal illnesses maintain a better quality of life when curative treatment is no longer possible.

“When patients have stage 4 cancer and chemo and/or other therapies have been explored. There is a form of care called PALLIATIVE CARE.. which 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 before death.”

Ajidahun also warned against portraying doctors as deliberately denying the actor treatment, saying such descriptions could fuel negative reactions against healthcare workers.

“Saying they don’t want to treat my father makes it look like they are intentionally rejecting him, and in the context of recent happenings in the health sector, it can trigger an insurrection and put a bad label on health care workers,” he said.

He further advised Nigerians not to resort to unverified herbal mixtures in an attempt to cure advanced cancer, warning that such remedies could worsen a patient’s condition.

“IF YOU HAVE HERBS that treat cancer. Don’t do this.. There are no herbs that will treat a stage 4 cancer. These concoctions will end up damaging more organs and causing more complications. You’d end up wasting money and causing more problems.”

The physician added that stage-four cancer means the disease has spread beyond the area where it originally developed.

“People need to understand that Stage 4 cancer means the cancer has left the primary organ and gone to other sites. Your Doctor knows what’s best, and it is good you work hand in hand with the team to give the best productivity,” he said.

While expressing sympathy for the actor’s family, Ajidahun urged them to work closely with the professionals responsible for Hassan’s care.

“I do hope Ogogo’s daughter and family see this. Wishing the family all the best throughout the trying times,” he added.

He also made it clear that he was not involved in Hassan’s treatment and was simply offering his professional perspective after seeing the daughters’ social media posts.

The doctor’s comments followed separate appeals from Ogogo’s daughters, Lima and Kira Taiwo, who sought help for their father on Instagram.

Lima said her father’s condition had become critical and claimed that hospitals were unwilling to continue treating him. She appealed to people with connections to medical specialists or facilities capable of handling his case.

Kira also revealed that Hassan was battling stage-four cancer and said his hospital could no longer continue his chemotherapy.

Both daughters stressed that their priority was finding medical help for their father rather than receiving money.

Hassan, 66, has spent more than four decades in Nollywood and has appeared in over 300 films, making him one of the notable figures in Yoruba cinema.