A pregnant Nigerian lady has died because doctors in Port Harcourt insisted the husband must pay N20,000, less than $150, before she was treated. And her family members are still in shock about her death, such that they are not even thinking of burying her for now.

The 34 year old woman, Ijeoma Umumadumere, nee Ahamefule, was rushed in the morning of 25 November to Garrison Clinic in Port Harcourt, when she complained of a sudden stomach pain and headache, while cooking. Her husband rushed her to the clinic on Udom street in the oil rich city. It was between 9-10 a.m. And she was five-months pregnant.

But doctors and nurses would not attend to the pregnant woman because the husband only had N5,000 on him, instead of the N20,000 being demanded, as a precondition for treatment. Even the N5,000 the man had on him had been used to offset registration and other costs.

Her brother, based in Austria could not understand why doctors in a Nigerian hospital could have so callously and uncaringly treated the woman, pregnant with her first child. As he put it:

“Her husband begged the doctor and the nurses to attend to her since they had collected about N5, 000 he had in his pocket in the name of registration and other little things while he would go home and bring money. He had also told them that because of the nature of the emergency and the way his wife had been shouting while on the ground that his mind had only been pre-occupied with the thoughts of rushing her to any nearby hospital and had not thought of money or any other thing as he had even forgotten to put on shoes, but all his pleading and explanations to the doctor and the nurses had fallen onto deaf ears. With her pains increasing and death knocking and the doctor and the nurses refusing to understand, there was no way he could have left her there unattended, to go home and bring money. He took her and headed to another hospital, but unfortunately my sister did not make it as the damage had already been done before the doctors in that second hospital could do something reasonable to save her life.”

“What a country, what a failure and what a loss! This is a sad story of the sorry state of the Nigerian health policy, how Nigerians are heartlessly and carelessly neglected because of money by doctors and nurses to die in hospitals, and how I lost my sister to a failed system,”wrote Uzoma Ahamefule, based in Austria.

Many hospitals in Nigeria, both private and public, are in the habit of asking for pre-payment from patients, even when the case is an emergency.

http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2012/12/01/nigerian-pregnant-woman-denied-care-because-of-150/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PmNewsNigeria+%28PM+News+Nigeria%29

All the doctors and nurses on duty deserve to be shot in the eye. The owner of the hospital should not be spared to. He should be extradited to the Aluu criminal court. This is a product of a failed system.

and the hospital is still allowed to operate? What a weird country we live in! Just because of that shikili money they just wasted human lives? Kai! Some news are not just pleasant to the ears i tell ya! Hmmm......

Sad news... disgusting & heartbreaking.. In fact, I don't know how to insult these people...omg






But lets not forget something here, hospital/clinic is a business... the sole aim of a business is to make money. Its not easy to run a business out of pity (even seun osewa cannot give me a free space to place my advert). They might have faced alot of losses.
However, this particular incidence is a broad day murder, atleast the husband was able to pay something. There are times you have to change the rules just to a save a life.. Thats the purpose of our existence btw..


I got this on page 6

ecna: Like somebody said earlier, people die of hunger daily and nobody's bashing Mr Biggs etc for not providing free food. Illiteracy levels keep rising yet we don't see threads here bashing the owners of exclusive expensive private schools for not.opening their door to the teeming poor for free....its goes on and on.

The poor man is an unfortunate man. This is true irrespective of race or creed. Have you cretins attacking the Hospital bothered to sincerely ask your self why this happens to be so?why just about all hospitals WORLDWIDE collect a deposit in one way or the other before treatment?if tertiary hospitals require you to 'pay before service' then, what do you expect from the 'barely afloat' private set up?

Simple: People are people, they get anything on credit, they are unlikely to pay unless under some sort of duress. And yes I meant what I said about worldwide and that is for those of you yapping about US etc, there is an already extablished health insurance on ground which pays the bills. If the money stops coming in, the kid gloves comes off. Still the poor in the US face serious problems accessing quality healthcare, you need to read up on the much misunderstood 'Obamacare' to get an Idea of the monumental suffering the poor face in getting care even in the 'almighty' US of A.

Tell, why do you think people from US and UK run to India for Healthcare?

People sit here and write rubbish, the doctor should take responsiblility for another man's family challenges? What sort of reasoning is that?

I know some of you pointing fingers are landlords, when he cannot afford his rent, he should not be kicked out? Or is it not life threatening to be sent to live on the street with your family?

Sometimes its better to say the truth..

sad

Too many wrongs with this country.

This is terrible. Its nothing new.

It happens all the time in Nigeria. When accident victims get to the hospital, the first thing they ask for is deposit even if you are gasping for breath. If you are unconscious, they will still be asking you to go and register.

No duty of care at all from the profession given the gift to save lives.

Its all about duty of money.

I wonder how some people sleep at night.

This is just plain wicked.

So Now, supposing they are given the N20,000 fee? Can they bring this woman back to life?

SMH, Terrible.

so sad..r.i.p

Lol, seriously, people are blaming the doctors?

musKeeto: Lol, seriously, people are blaming the doctors?

Should we blame you instead?

Honestly this is what makes me go 'raving mad ' , N20K Only

Since when did Money become more valuable that human life.

The culprits should be ashamed of themselves , what low-lives

When my mother in-law paid a visit to the UK not long ago, she fell ill because of the cold , the emergency services were on the scene in minutes, whisked her to the hospital and treated her free of charge.

You wonder why Nigeria is in a total mess.

HQ: This is just plain wicked.

So Now, supposing they are given the N20,000 fee? Can they bring this woman back to life?

SMH, Terrible.

This was an emergency. They should have at least stabilise her first before anything else.

Sickening story

HQ: This is just plain wicked.

So Now, supposing they are given the N20,000 fee? Can they bring this woman back to life?

SMH, Terrible.

do they value ones life in dis country

Why re these doctors nd nurses so callous nd heartless? To save a soul they rather demand for money. That's too bad. Later a nurse would come up here on nairaland to say dey re angels- what an irony of being an angel!

frosbel: Honestly this is what makes me go 'raving mad ' , N20K Only

Since when did Money become more valuable that human life.

The culprits should be ashamed of themselves , what low-lives

Life has never had any value in this country. If it did, it would not be in the shambolic state it is now.
Money is more important than life in Nigeria. It’s a fact.

A few days ago, I said it on another post that giving birth in Nigeria safely is by the special grace of God.

God help us.

acidosis™:

But lets not forget something here, hospital/clinic is a business... the sole aim of a business is to make money. Its not easy to run a business out of pity (even seun osewa cannot give me a free space to place my advert). They might have faced alot of losses.
However, this particular incidence is a broad day murder, atleast the husband was able to pay something. There are times you have to change the rules just to a save a life.. Thats the purpose of our existence btw..

No, Number 1 responsibility of the medical profession is to save life , not make money.

Do you know that many western doctors offer their skills and services to many third world countries free of charge , why ? Because they take pride in saving life and helping people get well to lead better quality of lives.

It is only in Nigeria where £££ comes before life.

If it was a govt hospital that this thing occured, you would have blamed the govt and called it a failed system. Im sure this must have been a private hospital established with money. If this guy that owns the hospital came to you and asked you to dash him money to build a hospital, im sure many of you would not. Before a hospital would come up with such a strict policy, you don't know what they might have faced in the hands of patients. Anyway, Im not saying that her death is right by the way because it could av been my wife, im just saying that @times, the patients are also to blame. R.I.P. I hope God gives the family the fortitude to bear the loss.

Laila Ikeji: A pregnant Nigerian lady has died because doctors in Port Harcourt insisted the husband must pay N20,000, less than $150, before she was treated. And her family members are still in shock about her death, such that they are not even thinking of burying her for now.

The 34 year old woman, Ijeoma Umumadumere, nee Ahamefule, was rushed in the morning of 25 November to Garrison Clinic in Port Harcourt, when she complained of a sudden stomach pain and headache, while cooking. Her husband rushed her to the clinic on Udom street in the oil rich city. It was between 9-10 a.m. And she was five-months pregnant.

But doctors and nurses would not attend to the pregnant woman because the husband only had N5,000 on him, instead of the N20,000 being demanded, as a precondition for treatment. Even the N5,000 the man had on him had been used to offset registration and other costs.

Her brother, based in Austria could not understand why doctors in a Nigerian hospital could have so callously and uncaringly treated the woman, pregnant with her first child. As he put it:

“Her husband begged the doctor and the nurses to attend to her since they had collected about N5, 000 he had in his pocket in the name of registration and other little things while he would go home and bring money. He had also told them that because of the nature of the emergency and the way his wife had been shouting while on the ground that his mind had only been pre-occupied with the thoughts of rushing her to any nearby hospital and had not thought of money or any other thing as he had even forgotten to put on shoes, but all his pleading and explanations to the doctor and the nurses had fallen onto deaf ears. With her pains increasing and death knocking and the doctor and the nurses refusing to understand, there was no way he could have left her there unattended, to go home and bring money. He took her and headed to another hospital, but unfortunately my sister did not make it as the damage had already been done before the doctors in that second hospital could do something reasonable to save her life.”

“What a country, what a failure and what a loss! This is a sad story of the sorry state of the Nigerian health policy, how Nigerians are heartlessly and carelessly neglected because of money by doctors and nurses to die in hospitals, and how I lost my sister to a failed system,”wrote Uzoma Ahamefule, based in Austria.

Many hospitals in Nigeria, both private and public, are in the habit of asking for pre-payment from patients, even when the case is an emergency.

http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2012/12/01/nigerian-pregnant-woman-denied-care-because-of-150/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PmNewsNigeria+%28PM+News+Nigeria%29

this reason join why oyibo people dey call africans blacks monkeys.

If it was a govt hospital that this thing occured, you would have blamed the govt and called it a failed system. Im sure this must have been a private hospital established with money. If this guy that owns the hospital came to you and asked you to dash him money to build a hospital, im sure many of you would not. Before a hospital would come up with such a strict policy, you don't know what they might have faced in the hands of patients. Anyway, Im not saying that her death is right by the way because it could av been anybody, im just saying that @times, the patients are also to blame. R.I.P. I hope God gives the family the fortitude to bear the loss.

WICKED COUNTRY WITH WICKED PEOPLE

chiswaggs: If it was a govt hospital that this thing occured, you would have blamed the govt and called it a failed system. Im sure this must have been a private hospital established with money. If this guy that owns the hospital came to you and asked you to dash him money to build a hospital, im sure many of you would not. Before a hospital would come up with such a strict policy, you don't know what they might have faced in the hands of patients. Anyway, Im not saying that her death is right by the way because it could av been my wife, im just saying that @times, the patients are also to blame. R.I.P. I hope God gives the family the fortitude to bear the loss.

lol, what a pathetic excuse.

So if someone comes to your clinic with only a few minutes to live, your concern will be money , right ? If it is , then you are one of the reasons why Nigeria will never arise from the dark ages.

acidosis™:
But lets not forget something here, hospital/clinic is a business...

chiswaggs: If it was a govt hospital that this thing occured, you would have blamed the govt and called it a failed system. Im sure this must have been a private hospital established with money...

People who make statements like the above lack something fundamental to our humanity: EMPATHY. Put yourself in the shoes of this unfortunate woman's husband, then go back and read your comment again.

What the hospital did is evil. But we as a people should check ourselves too am very sure if the husband had gone to meet relative for any help no matter how little they will tell him stories of how bad the economy is now. Those same people would be ready to bring any amount for the burial and go the extra mile to buy clothes for they are sure faces they have not seen in ages will surface.We as a people should change our attitude too.

acidosis™:
Sad news... disgusting & heartbreaking.. In fact, I don't know how to insult these people...omg
But lets not forget something here, hospital/clinic is a business... the sole aim of a business is to make money. Its not easy to run a business out of pity (even seun osewa cannot give me a free space to place my advert). They might have faced alot of losses.
However, this particular incidence is a broad day murder, atleast the husband was able to pay something. There are times you have to change the rules just to a save a life.. Thats the purpose of our existence btw..

If this was your sister, how would you feel?

How many people carry that kind of money in their pocket in case of emergency?

Nasri100:

Should we blame you instead?

Sorry, there's no known cure for myopic reasoning yet.

Back to OP, isn't this synonymous to the Aluu situation?

Businesses forced to take inhumane decisions to survive, a life's lost, people start blaming the business.

What were they to do?

Those who are comparing Nigerian medical services to UK and US services, lol, why are you in the UK and US then?

We say our medical system is crippled, just like everything Nigerian. There are doctors who have done sugeries on credit, only to chase a patient for his money after the surgery.

Let's pause the ALUU mentality for once.

frosbel:


No, Number 1 responsibility of the medical profession is to save life , not make money.

Do you know that many western doctors offer their skills and services to many third world countries free of charge , why ? Because they take pride in saving life and making people better to lead better quality of lives.

It is only in Nigeria where £££ comes before life.

how can you even save a life without money ?? Money comes first brother.. Even the doctors pay huge fees to get the training... Do not be decieved by a mere motto

poverty poverty poverty!
i am so angry at this - nigerian hospitals should be held accountable for this kind of nonsense - why not treat her first and detain her if she cannot come up with the payment rather than letting her die and lose her child?

when it was recently announced 500,000 pregnant women die in nigeria every year, nigerians rubbished the claim. i hope this is a reminder. the state governor should lock down the hospital and charge the doctors in charge for manslaughter...we should start locking these doctors up - their poverty of morals is disgusting!