N500,000 bill: Lagos hospital mum after death of pregnant woman

Photo from legit.ng

A private hospital (name withheld) on the Ibeju/Lekki axis of Lagos State, where a doctor allegedly refused to treat a pregnant woman, Kemi, because her husband couldn't pay N500,000 upfront, has remained silent over the matter. 

The incident, which reportedly led to the death of the pregnant woman, was first narrated by her husband, Akinbobola Folajimi, in February.

But it resurfaced on social media on Tuesday and sparked outrage.

The hospital, which is located in the Lekki axis of the state, allegedly refused the emergency treatment without the deposit, based on reports.

In a viral video, Kemi, appearing frail, could be seen in a vehicle with her husband as he desperately tried to keep her awake.

Calling her name repeatedly, he pleaded, "Oh my goodness, Kemi, look at me. Be strong; look at me. Please think of your children. You have to be so strong for me."

Folajimi later revealed in a post that they were turned down by the private hospital and sent to a general hospital in Epe, where the wife died halfway.

He lamented, "The doctor told me to bring N500,000, and I begged him to start doing whatever they needed to do to save my wife while I ran around looking for the money, but they drove us out like they did not care."

They blindly rejected us and advised me to take her to the General Hospital at Epe, even though the doctor knew that Epe is too far for her condition from Lakwe. She passed away before we could take her to Epe in a hurry."

When our correspondent visited the hospital's website on Wednesday, multiple calls to the phone number in the contact information could not connect.

A text message sent by PUNCH Metro to the same hospital's telephone number also went unresponded to as of the time of filing this report.

The purported hospital's actions have elicited widespread outrage on the internet, with several Nigerians calling for sanctions.

A professor, Dr Femi Yekinni, lamented in a post he put on X.com, saying, "This is just so sad and heartbreaking. Save a life first, then do whatever you can to recover the money later.

"This is the acceptable standard everywhere around the world. The National Assembly must enact a law to cater to critical issues like this."

Another Twitter user, Anthony Kene, observed, "The name of the hospital indicates it's owned by a religious organization. I think it should be enshrined in our laws that no hospital can deny anyone admission on financial grounds."

Similarly, Damilola Olarewaju wondered what sense such policies made, stating, "How is a dead person going to pay N500,000? Prioritizing money over life does not make any sense.".

"Hospitals must treat first and bill later. What is the point of a deposit if the patient does not even survive long enough to pay?"

Others, however, condemned the husband for rushing the wife to another private hospital.

Others questioned why he did not bring his wife to a public hospital at first, where the expenses would have been reduced. Others also faulted him for filming a video while his wife was in agony.

One user, @lordVolder2, said, "But why record a video in such a critical condition? May God have mercy on us and Nigeria. I pray God consoles the husband."

Another critic, @Blueplug11, attacked the action as follows: "In an emergency, seconds count. Wasting some of the precious time available to record video for whatever reason is irresponsible.

"Too much of this goes on today where victims are ignored and live streams are conducted solely for clout chasing."

Similarly, @IamChukwuemeka added, "If you don't have enough money, avoid private hospitals; those people are businessmen. He had enough time to admit her in a decent public hospital but didn't."

The accident has stirred arguments on how hospitals should be held accountable for such accidents, noting that saving lives should take precedence over money issues.