How pregnant woman died at Kano hospital over rejection of old naira notes

By Muhammad Muhammad

A 32 year old women Shema’u Sami Labaran has died in her nine months pregnancy at Abdullahi Wase Specialist Hospital, Kano owing to failure of her relatives to pay medical bills in new naira notes.

Before Shema’u had her last breath in her own pool of blood, the mother of three was left in pains for more than eight hours without attention from medical personnel on duty.

Narrating the unfortunate incident that led to his wife’s death, a 42 years old husband of the victim, Bello Ali Baffa told SOLACEBASE, Shema’u bled to death while he was struggling to settle medical bills at the pharmacy through transfer.

Baffa revealed how he spent hours waiting for the cashier to confirm payment alert of N8,528 for drug because the hospital has stopped receiving the old naira notes.

The bereaved husband regretted that the medical personnel insisted they would not attend to his late wife until he deposited necessary payment and provide evidence before she would be attended to.

Baffa said he had earlier provided N8,500 old naira notes to the cashier but he was told the hospital management had placed embargo on the old currency and refused to provide POS service except payment on transfer.

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Narrating the ugly incident, Baffa said: ” I brought my wife to Abdullahi Wase Specialist Hospital for delivery because she was already in her ninth months period. We were told to open file. We did that and then a doctor wrote some prescribed drugs for us and they asked me to go and get it. The total amount was N8,300.

“On getting to the pharmacy a far distance to the ward, I brought out the money only to be informed that, it is old notes the hospital is no longer collecting old notes. I was directed to another place to make transfer. At the cashier place I brought out my ATM card but the man told me there is no POS machine, that it is only transfer plus N200 charges that is acceptable. I complied because my wife was already in labour.

“After I did the transfer, it took me another 40 minutes before alert was confirmed and I was issued payment receipt. I quickly rushed to the pharmacy to collect the drug and returned to the ward. On getting to the ward, I was told there was no bed space. It was a total disagreement. We waited for another hour before they secure a bed space without mattress.

“We accepted it at least for them to attend to her. When the doctor came he told me that my wife has lost a lot of blood and they need fresh blood. I had to rush out to call my relatives. Luckily, I got three of them, they came and donate blood. Sooner the doctor asked me to go and get blood bags. I returned to the pharmacy unfortunately they don’t have. I went out of the hospital to buy that with my ATM”.

As if that was not enough, Baffa told SOLACEBASE , that the hospital subsequently requested N4,000 for blood service after he had brought his own relatives to donate blood for his wife.

” I was told I had to pay additional N4,000 for blood service, I quickly rushed out to the payment point. At that period it was late and afraid my wife has suffered alot with out medical attention. So after I made the payment and waiting for alert, I had to beg them to issue the payment evidence while my brother would remain with them pending when they confirm the transfer. I also narrated my wife’s condition. They accepted the condition and the receipt was printed. I rushed to the ward again and it was at that moment getting to 1.00am that my wife was taken to labour room”.

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Regrettably, Baffa disclosed that the doctor later came out of the labour room at about 3am to break the bad news ” your wife and unborn baby could not make it”.

Although, the husband said he believed Shema’u would die at appropriate time, he insisted the inhuman treatment of the hospital to his wife because of old naira notes rejection contributed to her sudden death. Baffa disclosed that he had taken to faith as Muslim he however urged the state government to check the painful policy to save innocent lives from untimely death the way he lost Shema’u.

Efforts to get reaction from the management of the hospital was not successful as our correspondent was directed to speak with the state hospital management board.

When contacted, the spokesperson of the board Ibrahim Abdullahi who confirmed the incident stressed that management has commenced investigation into the matter.

He noted that the CMD is scheduled to brief journalists about the development as soon as the investigation is concluded.

SOLACEBASE had reported that Kano state government recently issued directive against rejection of the old naira notes and threatened to sanction any outlet that violated the instructions.