Lagos, Nigeria – A Lagos family is facing heartbreak and financial hardship after a public hospital detained a woman following the death of her premature baby. Elizabeth Davis delivered a baby boy at Ajeromi General Hospital in February 2024, but the infant was born prematurely and required incubator care. Tragically, the baby passed away on March 3, 2024.
However, Ms. Davis’ ordeal did not end there. The hospital administration presented her with a bill of N323,000 (around $720 USD) and refused to release her or her deceased child’s remains until the bill was settled. This comes despite a Lagos State government directive guaranteeing free childbirth services, including cesarean sections, for resident expectant mothers at public hospitals.
Promises vs. Reality
The Lagos State government, led by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, announced this initiative in February 2024 as a measure to alleviate the economic burden on residents following the federal government’s removal of fuel subsidies. Governor Sanwo-Olu explicitly stated that free childbirth services, including cesarean sections, would be available at state-run hospitals.
Davis’s husband, Michael Bassey, said the hospital also denied him the right to take the corpse of the infant several weeks after she died inside the incubator because of the N323,000 medical bills.
“My wife gave birth when her pregnancy was only seven months old. The child was taken into an incubator for weeks. Then, last Friday, we lost the baby. After we lost the baby, the hospital told me that before I could take the corpse, I should get a clearance of N323,000.
“So, I had to give them the only N50,000 that was on me. They said if I didn’t pay the money, they would not allow me to bury my daughter. And they still detained my wife at the hospital. But just this afternoon (Monday, March 25, 2024), they called me to come take my daughter’s corpse,” Bassey said.
Seeking Answers
When contacted by reporters, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, acknowledged the situation and promised to investigate.
“Okay, I will investigate,” the commissioner simply stated after requesting the details of the hospital and the patient’s name via WhatsApp messages from our correspondent on Monday.
However, it remains unclear how long the investigation will take or what steps will be taken to address the apparent discrepancy between the government’s directive and the hospital’s practices.
This incident raises serious concerns about the implementation of the state’s free childbirth policy and the potential for vulnerable families to fall through the cracks. The Lagos State government must ensure transparency and hold accountable any institutions that fail to uphold the policy.
Source: Punch
