A medical professional has cautioned that claims alleging hospitals have turned away veteran Yoruba actor Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo, could provoke hostility towards healthcare workers.
Dr Olusina Ajidahun, known online as ‘The Bearded Dr Sina’, issued the clarification following emotional Instagram appeals posted on Monday by Hassan’s daughters, Lima and Kira. The daughters claimed that medical facilities had refused to continue treating the 66-year-old Nollywood icon, who is battling stage-four cancer.
Dr Ajidahun, who clarified that he is commenting independently and is not involved in Hassan’s treatment, warned that claiming doctors “don’t want to treat” the actor falsely implies deliberate rejection. He noted that such phrasing is a “dangerous statement” that could “trigger an insurrection and put a bad label on health care workers”.
Dr Ajidahun noted that once chemotherapy and active interventions are exhausted for terminal stage-four cancer, where the disease has spread beyond its original organ, patients are typically transitioned to palliative care.
This form of treatment focuses on managing symptoms and ensuring “a good quality of life before death” rather than curative procedures.
The doctor also strongly warned the public against offering herbal concoctions, stressing that “there are no herbs that will treat a stage 4 cancer” and that unverified remedies risk “damaging more organs” and wasting money.
Extending his sympathies to the family, Dr Ajidahun urged Hassan’s relatives to collaborate closely with his medical team to achieve the best possible care. Hassan is one of Yoruba cinema’s most recognisable figures, with a career spanning over four decades and more than 300 films.