By Eben Enasco
The University of Benin Teaching Hospital UBTH, is facing huge criticism for detaining a mother and her newborn baby over unpaid medical bills totaling N330,000.
The bills, according to a report captured by a daily tabloid arose from a Cesarean Section CS, procedure performed on March 20, 2025.
Despite paying N200,000 initially, the family couldn’t settle the remaining balance, leading to the hospital’s decision to detain the mother and child.
The hospital, according to the source is demanding N330,000, which includes an additional N150,000 for delayed payment.
The mother and baby have been held at the hospital for over three weeks, sparking concerns about their well-being.
The family is reportedly struggling to pay the bills, with the father, Umoru Imokha Abdulahi, appealing for help from kind-hearted Nigerians and the Edo State Governor.
Abdulahi, an indigene of Agenebode in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State, lamented that his wife and newborn baby have been detained on account of that on Bed 17 M1, Maternity ward at UBTH.
His words; “My wife had CS on March 20, 2025, during the delivery, and what UBTH was asking me to pay is a total of N380,000 on March 27. I had no money but was able to raise N200,000 that time. I was not allowed to go with my wife and baby girl.
“I was running around to get their balance of N180,000, which took me over two weeks. Sadly, when I returned to the hospital, I had no money. I was told my bill has now increased from N180,000 to N330,000.
“I was worried because I couldn’t get the N180,000, after paying N200,000, now I am told to pay N10,000 each day since after she was discharged, which amounts to N150,000 for the two weeks I went to seek help to discharge my wife and baby.
“Please, I am begging Nigerians to come to my rescue. I have not been able to discharge my wife and child.
“This is my first child. She was born through the Caesarean Section. I don’t have a job. I was hustling at a sawmill. But the money I get can’t pay the hospital bills, let alone the additional N10,000 per day as hospital bills for the 15 days I have been looking for help to discharge my family.
“I have not been able todo the naming after seven days. I am so sad that since giving birth, my wife and baby have not been pressed with hot water, which is needed for safety, “he said.
Abdulahi, however, appealed to the management of UBTH, kind-hearted Nigerians and the State Governor, Okpebholo, to help him discharge his wife and daughter being held at the UBTH.
The University of Benin Teaching Hospital UBTH, Public Relations Officer, Uwaila Joshua, responded to the allegations, stating that the hospital bill is justified due to the extra days spent in the hospital, which incurred costs for food and bed space for mother and child care.
However, he expressed surprise that the patient’s husband, Umoru Imokha Abdulahi, had not explored the option of providing a guarantor to assure the hospital management of payment. He suggested that Abdulahi could have provided a guarantor to secure the patient’s release.
Uwaila emphasized that the UBTH is a Federal Government establishment, subject to regular audits by external auditors, and there is no way they could have allowed patients to live without a key arrangement on how they intend to pay their bills.
He stated that by then, the role of external auditors and government oversight in ensuring accountability and transparency in hospital operations is highlighted.
In Nigeria, hospitals have been known to detain newborns, mothers and other sick patients over unpaid medical bills, raising human rights concerns.
A 2019 study found evidence of this practice in 46 countries, including Nigeria, where the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, UBTH, though not in isolation, prominently features in occasions holding off patience over unpaid bills accrual.
Clearly, the detention of patients who may be restless and depressed, as a result of poor income status, can lead to emotional trauma, health complications, and even death.
The practice of detaining patients over unpaid bills is a violation of human rights and can have long-term effects on mental and physical health.
The Nigerian government has condemned this practice, but it remains a common issue in many hospitals.
There is a need for increased insurance coverage and government support to alleviate the financial burden on families.
He could be reached on 09166956146, while assistance can be channeled through his personal account, Polaris Bank: 3053131049 or via a visit to the wife who has been detained on Bed 17 M1, Maternity ward at UBTH.
