Lagos Hospital Silent After Pregnant Woman’s Death Due to N500,000 Bill

A private hospital (name withheld) in the Ibeju/Lekki area of Lagos State, where a doctor allegedly refused to treat a pregnant woman, Kemi, due to her husband’s inability to pay an upfront fee of N500,000, has not issued any statement regarding the incident.

The tragic event, in which the pregnant woman is said to have died, was initially shared by her husband, Akinbobola Folajimi, in February but resurfaced on social media on Tuesday, igniting widespread outrage.

Reports indicate that the hospital, located in the Lekki area, allegedly denied emergency care until the deposit was made.

A viral video shows Kemi, visibly weak, in a car with her husband, who is desperately trying to keep her conscious. He repeatedly calls her name, urging, “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 Kemi passed away on the way.

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 reporter checked the hospital’s website on Wednesday, several attempts to reach the listed contact number went unanswered. A text message sent to the same number also received no response by the time of reporting. The hospital’s alleged actions have triggered widespread outrage online, with many Nigerians calling for sanctions.

“Too much of this occurs these days, where victims are ignored and live videos are streamed just for clout chasing.”

Similarly, @IamChukwuemeka added, “If you don’t have enough money, avoid private hospitals; those people are profit-orientated. He had ample time to register her at a good public hospital but failed.”

The incident has sparked discussions about holding hospitals accountable in such cases, stressing that saving lives should take precedence over financial concerns.