Controversy has continued to trail the inability of a woman, Jessica Ugwuoke, to offset her medical bill of N285,000 following a caesarian section at Samaria Hospital, Ikotun, Lagos.
While the Ugwuokes were insisting that the medical bill was too much for a family with an unemployed breadwinner, the hospital declined to collect the sum of N50,000 offered by a Good Samaritan.
The patient alleged that due to the family’s inability to pay the bills, the hospital stopped treating her and chained her to a “urinary pole” to prevent her from escaping.
The hospital, however, denied the family’s allegation.
Jessica, who hails from Abia State, told our correspondent that she was rushed to Samaria Hospital from a maternity home after she was unable to deliver her child on August 12.
The couple lost the child during a caesarian section, leaving the family with a medical bill they said was beyond what they could afford.
Jessica said, “On the fateful day, I was rushed to Samaria Hospital as an emergency case, so we didn’t discuss price.
“After everything, my husband asked for the bill and the doctor said it was N285,000. My husband said he was jobless, that the money should be reduced, but the doctor refused. After everything, my husband paid N45, 000 while still begging him to reduce the money.”
The patient alleged that due to the family’s inability to pay the bills, the hospital stopped treating her.
She said, “They didn’t lose my stitches until after two weeks. The day I begged him, the doctor said I should tell my husband to pay. After we paid the N45,000, the doctor removed the stitches but left the catheter.
“My husband begged him to release me so that we can pay the money in bits, but he refused. After two weeks, I was asked to leave the bed and I started sleeping on the corridor. My husband got angry and demanded that I should be released, but he walked him out of his office.”
Jessica said her husband eventually reported the doctor to a non-governmental organisation, Women Advocates Research and Documentation, adding that the NGO negotiated with the doctor to reduce the money to N80,000.
