A doctor, Olusina Ajidahun, has explained that hospitals may move some patients with advanced cancer to palliative care after available treatments have been exhausted, following an emotional appeal by the daughters of veteran Yoruba actor Taiwo Hassan, popularly known as Ogogo.

Ajidahun, who is known as The Bearded Dr Sina on X, said the daughters’ description of their father’s situation could create the impression that medical professionals had deliberately refused to treat him.

He explained that palliative care is often provided to patients with advanced or terminal illnesses when treatments such as chemotherapy are no longer effective or appropriate. The focus, he said, is then placed on managing symptoms and improving the patient’s quality of life.

“Patients have stage-four cancer and chemo and/or other therapies have been explored. There is a form of care called palliative care,” he said, adding that the approach is aimed at managing symptoms and providing comfort.

Ajidahun also warned against turning to unverified herbal remedies for advanced cancer. He said there was no proven herbal treatment that could cure stage-four cancer and cautioned that untested remedies could cause further health complications.

He explained that stage-four cancer means the disease has spread from its original site to other parts of the body, adding that treatment decisions should be made in consultation with the medical team handling the patient.

The doctor, who stressed that he was not involved in Ogogo’s treatment, expressed sympathy for the actor’s family and urged them to work closely with his healthcare providers.

The comments followed separate appeals by Ogogo’s daughters, Lima and Kira Taiwo, on Instagram. They said their father was battling stage-four cancer and claimed hospitals had stopped providing further treatment.

Lima said the family was seeking medical assistance rather than financial donations, while Kira said doctors had told them the actor could no longer receive chemotherapy. She appealed to medical professionals or facilities capable of treating advanced cancer to contact the family.

Hassan, 66, has spent more than four decades in the Nigerian film industry and has featured in more than 300 films. He remains one of the prominent figures in Yoruba cinema.