Hospital shuns Sanwo-Olu’s directive, detains mother over delivery bill

A woman identified as Elizabeth Davis, who lost her baby just after delivering prematurely at the Ajeromi General Hospital in the Ajegunle Area of Lagos State, has been detained by the management over her inability to settle her medical bill of N323,000.

This is despite the state’s directive to all general hospitals and primary health centres to provide free antenatal care and child delivery services, including normal and cesarean sections, to expectant women who are residents of the state.

The government explained that the initiative was part of relief measures to cushion the hardship faced by residents due to the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government.

Sanwo-Olu stated during a media interview in February 2024, “There is an arrangement for free delivery, including cesarean sections, at government hospitals,” adding that his administration “will also give a rebate on some particular drugs at our state government hospitals.” However, this does not seem to be the case at Ajeromi General Hospital, where the infant’s remains and the mother are being held due to the family’s inability to clear about N323,000 in medical bills.

PUNCH Metro reports that both Davis and her child’s remains were still detained by the hospital management on Monday and Tuesday, owing to her husband’s failure to settle the medical bills.

In an interview with PUNCH Metro on Monday, Davis said, “I have been here since February 29, 2024. I gave birth in the hospital. It was premature. They put her in an incubator. They have been treating her since then. But I don’t know what happened when they suddenly told me on March 2, 2024, that she was having a fever. Punch