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 newsmen which was 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.