Hospital Detains Mother and New Set of Twins over N85, 000 Bill

By Patience Ogbo

A week-old set of twins and their mother have been detained at the Sacred Heart Hospital in Lantoro, Abeokuta, in Ogun State over N85, 000 medical bills.

The twins, who were delivered through a Caesarean Section, now sleep on the bare floor with their mother, Titilayo Alayode.

Their 27-year-old fashion designer dad, Gbenga Alayode, said he had managed to pay N425, 000 out of the N500, 000 that they were billed.

He said, “When we got to the hospital, the medical bill was 500, 000. I had N200, 000 in my bank account and ran to family and friends to help me raise the balance, but all the money I got was N425, 000. The hospital management decided to move my wife and the twins from the bed to the floor. They refused the babies and the mother to leave the hospital until we pay up. I do not have a dime to feed the twins and even to get drugs for the mother who could barely talk. I cannot afford to buy the babies milk, clothes and other needs. The children have just five clothes to wear, and the two cans of milk I bought are almost finished. I need financial assistance from the government and Nigerians to help me settle the remaining bill and other expenses.”

According to a Child Advocate, Adeleke Success, another newly delivered mother is being held in the same hospital over a bill of N80, 000.

Success said, “The same hospital also vacated to the floor another woman who had a stillbirth through Cesarean Section claiming she was yet to balance them N80, 000. Please, an intervention will be appreciated as these people are in the hospital detention like criminals in a police cell.”