For more than three months, 21-year-old new mother Iqmat Yinusa has watched her newborn son grow inside a hospital cot, a tiny world he is not allowed to leave because of a medical bill exceeding N700,000. ISMAEEL UTHMAN writes on the heart-wrenching plight of this first-time mother in Iree, Boripe Local Government Area of Osun State

With high expectations and hurried steps, 21-year-old Iqmat approached a car after being told someone wanted to speak with her. She had just finished breastfeeding her three-month-old baby, who, as a day-old infant, was rushed to Lifeline Paediatric Hospital at Alekuwodo, Osogbo, Osun State.

Her face bore the weight of frustration and helplessness. Frail and confused, the young woman’s eyes betrayed the silent hope she clung to, wishing for a miracle to ease her troubles. Before our correspondent could speak, she poured out her story in a voice thick with emotion.

“Ekaasan sir (Good afternoon, sir),” she said, kneeling on both knees in greeting. “Please help me. My child and I have been here since August this year, and we’re not allowed to go because we couldn’t pay the hospital bill,” she pleaded, her words trembling with desperation.

Yinusa recounted that her child was rushed to Lifeline after she delivered via Caesarean section at a private hospital in Iragbiji.

The baby had grown weak before the procedure, necessitating urgent treatment at the specialist facility.

Before that, she had endured three days of labour at two different hospitals, hoping for a natural birth. But when complications arose, the doctor recommended a CS, which she and her husband accepted with fear and trepidation.

“I was shocked when I was told I would undergo a CS. We didn’t expect it, although I had been in labour for three days. I was first admitted for delivery at a hospital in Iree, but then transferred to another in Iragbiji, where I spent two days before the procedure. It was a painful experience,” she said.

“My baby was rushed out of the hospital after delivery. I was told he was weak because of the labour stress and needed urgent medical attention. He was taken to Lifeline Hospital in Osogbo. Despite being in pain, I wanted to stay with him. Being separated from my baby at birth was harrowing. I kept praying for a quick recovery and divine intervention so I could be with him,” she added.

Her wish only came true after about a month. Her health had deteriorated after delivery, and she was stabilised with two pints of blood and several sachets of intravenous fluids.

The ordeal drained not only her but also her husband and the extended family’s finances. Yet all she wanted, she said, was to be near her child.

At Lifeline Hospital, her son had been placed on oxygen for over a week. Yinusa’s composure faltered as she spoke, tears streaming down her face. Her hijab doubled as a handkerchief as she wiped them away.

“I was allowed to go to Osogbo to stay with my baby after I got a little better. I burst into tears when I saw where he was placed. It was such an emotional moment for me. I held him tight for the first time after a month. The hospital staff had been taking care of him, feeding him with baby formula. May no mother experience what I am going through,” she prayed.

“It was challenging to breastfeed him as a first-time mother, but he eventually latched. By the time I joined him, he had completed treatment, so my role was mainly cleaning and feeding him.”

However, even at the hospital, she could not fully be with her son. Due to unpaid bills, her access was restricted. She could feed and clean him, but could not hold him for long or risk being sent away by hospital staff.

Her grief was palpable as she spoke about the disconnection between herself and her child. Tears flowed freely.

“Till this moment, I haven’t been able to take my son home. I also can’t hold him for too long because of the hospital rules. Since birth, my baby has not seen the outside world. He has been confined to a small baby pod. The space is cramped, and rashes have appeared all over his body,” she lamented, her voice breaking with sorrow.

Asked why her baby had not been released, Yinusa said,

“We are owing the hospital. We couldn’t afford the bill, which is running to about N700,000. I was told my baby used oxygen for over a week. All the treatment amounted to over N800,000, but we made a deposit of N150,000 initially. We have been detained here since the first week of September, even after my child completed his treatment. I’m not blaming the hospital management; they have tried for us. I am appealing to well-meaning Nigerians to come to our aid.”

Yinusa’s husband, Sodiq, also held onto hope for divine intervention. His voice, heavy with stress and frustration, revealed the toll of their ordeal.

Speaking with our correspondent over the phone, the well-ring moulder said he had spent over N900,000 on his wife and son’s treatment and was now financially exhausted.

Sodiq lamented that his first experience of fatherhood had come wrapped in hardship. To him, being a man goes beyond marriage; it entails having the financial, mental, and physical strength to navigate family crises.

He said, “This situation has drained me emotionally and financially,” he said, appealing to the public to help raise the hospital bill so his wife and son could finally be discharged.

“My son has been detained for over three months because we couldn’t pay the hospital bill. He was admitted on August 24 and completed about 15 days of treatment, but we were not released because we couldn’t settle the bill. He has spent nearly three months at the hospital now.”

Sodiq added, “My wife underwent surgery to deliver the baby. She received two pints of blood transfusion. I have spent over N900,000 on her and the baby’s treatment. We deposited N150,000 at Lifeline Hospital before treatment started. The baby was on oxygen for eight days.

“I spent N9,000 every four days on baby food. By estimate, that’s less than N20,000 per week. We ran several tests for my wife and the baby, which cost a lot, too. We couldn’t afford to pay the hospital after treatment. I am exhausted. Nobody is willing to give me a loan. I mould and fix well rings, but there is no patronage now. Please, I appeal for help. Even if we manage to pay the bill now, what will we eat afterwards?”

case is not isolated. Our correspondent gathered that two other mothers had previously been detained for over two months due to unpaid hospital bills. They were released a few weeks ago after funds were raised.

Saving the baby from death

It was learnt that the little boy was diagnosed with perinatal asphyxia, HIE stage 2, having suffered significant oxygen deprivation before birth.

He also did not cry after delivery, a condition that can severely harm the brain and other vital organs.

An Assistant Manager at Lifeline Hospital, Ayomide Oladosu, explained that the baby had respiratory distress and convulsions upon arrival.

He added that the newborn also had jaundice and was placed on oxygen and phototherapy for over a week. The baby was also closely monitored for hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar).

“The boy didn’t cry when he was brought to us, and that was dangerous for his brain. When a newborn cries, it allows air to flow into the body, especially to sensitive organs like the brain. The airflow helps activate these organs. If a baby doesn’t cry, it may lead to brain injury. So, we acted promptly and stabilised him,” Oladosu said.

He explained that the total cost of treatment amounted to N869,500. The parents had deposited N130,000 initially and later paid an additional N70,000, leaving a balance of N669,500.

Explaining why the baby was still detained, Oladosu said that several patients had failed to pay their bills even after being discharged, despite promising to return with the payment.

Pointing to a heap of files on a shelf, he said, “We’re not wicked, not at all. The hospital management has lost millions of naira to parents who were allowed to go home on the promise of paying later. Look at those files, they belong to hundreds of people who never came back. A prominent politician in Ilesa, whose two children were treated here, is among the defaulters who refused to settle their bills.

“In this Yinusa case, we have even bought food for her baby more than five times. She is yet to refund us for some of it.”

The owner of Lifeline Hospital, Dr. Efeturi Agelebe, a paediatrician, stated that the patient would be released if the family could raise 70 per cent of the outstanding bill.

He added that the total bill would have been higher, but no additional charges were applied once the baby was discharged from active care.

“We are always kind to our patients, and we don’t put unnecessary burdens on them. But based on our experience, we need to take precautions. In this case, I will allow them to go if they can pay 70 per cent of the bill,” Agelebe assured. (Saturday PUNCH)

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