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

A private hospital  (name withheld) in the Ibeju/Lekki area of Lagos State, where a doctor allegedly refused to treat a pregnant woman, known as Kemi, due to her husband’s inability to make an upfront payment of N500,000, has remained silent over the incident.

The tragic incident, in which the pregnant woman reportedly died, was first shared by her husband, Akinbobola Folajimi, in February.

However, it resurfaced on social media on Tuesday, sparking widespread outrage.

According to reports, the hospital, located in the Lekki area of the state, allegedly refused to provide emergency care without the deposit.

In a viral video, Kemi, visibly weak, could be seen inside a car with her husband, who was desperately trying to keep her conscious.

Calling her name repeatedly, he pleaded, “My goodness, Kemi, look at me. Stay strong; look at me. Think about your kids, please. You need to be very strong for me.”

Folajimi later revealed in a post that after being turned away by the private hospital, they were referred to a general hospital in Epe, where the wife died midway.

Expressing his grief, he wrote, “The doctor told me to deposit N500,000, and I begged him to start doing whatever was needed to save my wife while I ran around for the money, but they drove us out like they didn’t care.

“Unfortunately, they blindly rejected us and asked me to take her to the General Hospital at Epe, even though the doctor knew that Epe from Lakwe is way too far for her condition. Before we rushed her to Epe, she was gone.”

When our correspondent visited the hospital’s website on Wednesday, multiple calls to the phone number listed in the contact details went unanswered.

A text message by PUNCH Metro sent to the same telephone number of the hospital also remained unacknowledged as of the time of reporting.

The alleged hospital’s actions have sparked widespread condemnation online, with many Nigerians demanding sanctions.

A lecturer, Dr Femi Yekinni, lamented in a post he shared 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 all over the world. The National Assembly needs to make a law to address critical issues such as this.”

Another social media user, Anthony Kene, pointed out, “The name of the hospital indicates it’s affiliated with a religious body. I think it should be enshrined in our laws that hospitals must not reject anyone on monetary grounds.”

Similarly, Damilola Olarewaju questioned the logic behind such policies, stating, “How does a dead person pay N500,000? Prioritising money over life makes no sense.

“Hospitals should treat first and sort payments later. What’s the point of a deposit if the patient doesn’t even survive to pay?”

However, some Nigerians criticised the husband’s decision to rush the wife to another private clinic.

Some questioned why he did not take his wife to a public hospital earlier, where costs could have been lower. Others also took issue with him for making a video while his wife was in distress.

One user, @lordVolder2, remarked, “But why make a video in such a critical situation? May God have mercy upon us and Nigeria. I pray God consoles the husband.”

Another user, @Blueplug11, condemned the act, saying, “During an emergency, every second counts. Devoting part of the scarce available time to making a video recording for whatever reason is reckless.

“Too much of this occurs these days, where victims are ignored and live videos are streamed just for clout chasing.”

Similarly, @IamChukwuemeka added, “If you don’t have enough money, avoid private hospitals; those people are profit-orientated. He had ample time to register her at a good public hospital but failed.”

The incident has ignited discussions about holding hospitals accountable for such cases, emphasising that saving lives should take priority over financial considerations.