A Lagos couple, Mr Michael and Mrs Roseline Oaikhena, have been denied the custody of their newborn baby, Ighodalo, for three months over an unpaid medical bill of N650,000.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the hospital holding on to the child, Inton Hospital, Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos, had allegedly vowed to put him in an orphanage unless the debt was cleared.

Our correspondent gathered that Roseline, a private primary school teacher, had given birth to a set of twins on February 10, 2018, at the Ifako General Hospital, Lagos.

The babies, which were premature, were reportedly taken to Inton, where they were put in an incubator at the rate of N300,000 per week.

After one week, the female child reportedly died, while the surviving boy continued treatment at the intensive care unit of the facility at the rate of N150,000 per week.

The child’s father, Michael, a driver, said the bill later rose to N1.2m.

He said, “My wife and I have been married for about two years. When she conceived, she went through a lot of stress due to the nature of her job and at a point, a doctor advised her to go for bed rest.

“She gave birth at the Ifako General Hospital when the pregnancy was about six months. We were unable to get an incubator at the hospital and our search for one in Lagos public hospitals proved abortive.

She gave birth around 1pm and when we could not find any public hospital with an incubator, we settled for Inton Hospital. We got there around 11pm; their bill was N300,000 per week.

However, after a week, we lost the female baby and we started paying N150,000 per week. The surviving baby has now been moved from the incubator to a nursery, where he has been for over three months.”

He explained that the mother had been visiting the hospital to give the newborn baby food, adding that the child was being held over the N650,000 medical bill that the family owed.

The Edo State indigene said one of the doctors at the hospital recently called him and threatened that the child could be moved to a motherless babies’ home if the balance was not paid.

“The doctor said since we had not met up with our financial obligations, they might not be able to keep the baby any longer and will take him to a motherless babies’ home. He said the baby had a high risk of contracting an infection because he is in a place where they treat sick children,” he added.

The wife, Roseline, expressed sadness that her baby could be taken to an orphanage while she was alive.

The 28-year-old noted that efforts by the family to raise funds through social media had been abortive, adding that she lived in pain every day.



She said, “I was going to see him at the hospital every day before I stopped because of transport cost. I go twice a week now.

“The hospital said the next step is to take him to a motherless babies’ home because we don’t have money.

“We have tried to raise money to no avail. We were able to raise N550,000 from friends and relatives, including the N170,000 we got on a social media platform. We still need to pay N650,000.”

A doctor at the Inton Hospital, Dr. Badejo Christopher, had said the medical bill was high due to the specialised care required by the baby.

Christopher, who spoke to The PUNCH in March while the baby was still receiving intensive care, said Ighodalo was being monitored by a consultant paediatrician.

He had said, “The mother went into labour at 27 weeks as against 38/40 weeks. The twins were rushed here, but we could not save one of them. The boy has been inside an incubator and taking drugs.

“An average birth weight is 2.5kg, but the baby’s weight at presentation was 1.0kg. The challenges of managing preterm children are many. The drugs we use are very expensive because the children are susceptible to sepsis (infection).

“One of the antibiotics is as expensive as N16,000. We charge N150,000 per week.”

The Chief Medical Director of Inton, Mr. Akeem Mustapha, on Tuesday, however, denied that the hospital planned to take the child to an orphanage, saying the couple wanted to draw public sympathy.

He said, “There is nothing like that. We only advised them that it is not right to put the child in the nursery for a long time because if any infection breaks out at the hospital, the child may be affected. Nobody will say because of that, the child should be taken to a motherless babies’ home. Why?

“They are only trying to whip up sentiments so that you can help them to get money. They need money to discharge the baby, so they want you to put up a story that the hospital will take the child to a motherless babies’ home. Why they are putting up this kind of thing is laughable.”

When PUNCH Metro asked if the hospital could release the baby on compassionate grounds while the parents amortised the debt, Mustapha said our correspondent should pay the bill.

“The ones that had been paid were by instalments. You can lend them the money and they will pay you back later. Tell your company to pay on their behalf; they will pay you back by instalments,” he added.

Source: https://www.brainnewsradio.com/unpaid-bill-lagos-hospital-detains-newborn-baby-for-three-months-2/

Read More Here https://www.brainnewsradio.com/unpaid-bill-lagos-hospital-detains-newborn-baby-for-three-months-2/

Speechless.

O strong mehn

ok

Them for employ the mother nah

it is well. May your helper locate you.

Really pray to see the day health care will be free in Nigeria.Some people will argue that it’s not possible but I tell you if all the monies our politicians steal are put into proper use, it is possible. You will be surprised to know that malaria still kill people in Nigeria cos they don’t have money to buy medications. May God help us. Please nobody should blame the hospital they are doing business and business progress when you pay for service rendered.

As much as it is easy to blame the hospital and the high cost of keeping babies in Incubators, lots of people give birth to kids they can't afford to take care of, waiting for divine intervention.

It is well. I pray well meaning Nigerians come to their aid.

i can totally relate with the parent, things are difficult,

when money becomes a top priority

This is serious.

Same people that voted for buhari and still love tinubu and co

Should we blame baba Jonah?�

pls free the baby

What are they suppose to do really?

no government hospital with incubator. is it only rich people that give birth to premature babies? later some of you will be doing party alliance and tribalism instead of looking for a leader with solutions. at the end of the day, na una wey dey there go suffer am

Khallyella:
Speechless.

Same

If, you are not financial buoyant, abstain from sex jare.


Stop embarrassing yourself.

So who them dey threaten? Illiterate like themselves abi? Who gave them right to drop someone else's baby who didn't abandon it in orphanage?
And if they do, the orphanage will pay the bills abi?
Let them kukuma say they are looking for backyard way to auction her baby to the highest bidder to cover her incured bill.
So sorry for the woman. This pregnancy don cost her pass person Wey do ivf self.

We have government, we have some useless big men that will lavishly spent huge sum on ladies for doing nothing. Some people sha, they have been warned no to help people in trouble because of the source of their wealth. Anyway, may God help the couples during this hard time.

kennygee:


As much as it is easy to blame the hospital and the high cost of keeping babies in Incubators, lots of people give birth to kids they can't afford to take care of, waiting for divine intervention.

It is well. I pray well meaning Nigerians come to their aid.

Did you read the post at all?

akeentech:
Them for employ the mother nah

What is this one saying

You can't take someone's child to orphanage for not paying bills. You would pay far more in damages if they sue both you and the orphanage.

Khallyella:
Speechless.

All I can say is Goodness!

thank u PUNCH Newspaper, at least a philanthropist would bail dem out.

Ogunleti01:
Did you read the post at all?

She didnt

HRHQueenPhil:
thank u PUNCH Newspaper, at least a philanthropist would bail dem out.

Those philanthropist Wey dey look for money to dash kemi the blogger, and co need be searching better places to show their philanthropy.

package7:
If, you are not financial buoyant, abstain from sex jare.


Stop embarrassing yourself.

stop yapping nonsense.
no woman takes in expecting that pregnancy and delivering will be this complicated.
giving birth to preterm twin babies and having to do incubator nursing(in a private hospital)is not an easy thing even for middle class families.
the blame should go to government why no government hospital have facilities for incubator nursing.

HigherEd:
You can't take someone's child to orphanage for not paying bills. You would pay far more in damages if they sue both you and the orphanage.

No mind them. Na illiterate them fit threaten with such story.