Hospital Seizes Newborn, Still Holding the Baby After Three Months of Birth Over Mother’s N700,000 Debt

• A 21-year-old first-time mother in Osun State has been unable to take her newborn son home for over three months after completing treatment, as the family struggles tCCo pay a hospital bill of more than N700,000.

For more than three months, 21-year-old new mother, Iqmat Yinusa, has watched her newborn son grow inside a hospital cot, a tiny world he has not been allowed to leave because of an unpaid medical bill exceeding N700,000. The first-time mother’s ordeal has unfolded in Iree, Boripe Local Government Area of Osun State.

With anxious steps and visible exhaustion, Iqmat approached a car after she was told someone wanted to speak with her. Moments earlier, she had finished breastfeeding her three-month-old baby, who was rushed to Lifeline Paediatric Hospital in Osogbo as a day-old infant. Her frail appearance reflected months of emotional and physical strain.

Before a word was spoken to her, she broke down and told her story. Kneeling in greeting, she pleaded, “Ekaasan sir (Good afternoon sir). Please help me. My child and I have been here since August this year, and we’re not allowed to go because we couldn’t pay the hospital bill.”

Yinusa explained that complications during childbirth led to her baby being rushed to the specialist hospital shortly after delivery. She had endured three days of labour across two hospitals before doctors recommended a Caesarean section, a decision she and her husband accepted with fear.

“I was shocked when I was told I would undergo a CS. We didn’t expect it, although I had been in labour for three days,” she said. “My baby was rushed out of the hospital after delivery. I was told he was weak because of the labour stress and needed urgent medical attention.”

Separated from her child immediately after birth, Yinusa said the experience was emotionally devastating. She remained hospitalised herself after her health deteriorated, receiving blood transfusions and intravenous fluids before she was finally allowed to join her baby in Osogbo nearly a month later.

“When I saw where he was placed, I burst into tears. I held him tight for the first time after a month. May no mother experience what I am going through,” she said, wiping tears with her hijab.

Although her baby eventually recovered and completed treatment, Yinusa said she still could not freely care for him due to the unpaid bill. Her access to him remained limited, and she feared being sent away if she stayed too long.

“Till this moment, I haven’t been able to take my son home. Since birth, my baby has not seen the outside world. He has been confined to a small baby pod. The space is cramped, and rashes have appeared all over his body,” she lamented.

She disclosed that the hospital bill had risen to over N800,000, though the family initially deposited N150,000. “We have been detained here since the first week of September, even after my child completed his treatment. I am appealing to well-meaning Nigerians to come to our aid,” she said.

Her husband, Sodiq, a well-ring moulder, said the experience had drained him financially and emotionally. Speaking by phone, he said he had spent more than N900,000 on his wife and son’s treatment and was now unable to raise further funds.

“This situation has drained me emotionally and financially,” he said. “My son has been detained for over three months because we couldn’t pay the hospital bill. He was admitted on August 24 and completed treatment after about 15 days, but we were not released.”

He added, “My wife underwent surgery. She received two pints of blood. The baby was on oxygen for eight days. I spent N9,000 every four days on baby food. Nobody is willing to give me a loan. Please, I appeal for help.”

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Hospital officials explained that the baby was diagnosed with perinatal asphyxia and suffered oxygen deprivation before birth, requiring oxygen therapy, treatment for jaundice, and close monitoring. An assistant manager at the hospital said the total cost of treatment stood at N869,500, with a balance of N669,500 still unpaid.

The hospital management stated that previous cases of unpaid bills had made it difficult to discharge patients without substantial payment. The hospital owner, a paediatrician, said the baby would be released if the family could raise 70 per cent of the outstanding balance, noting that no additional charges had been added after active treatment ended.

As the days stretch on, Yinusa remains by her son’s side, clinging to hope that help will come and that she will finally be able to carry her baby home.

“We are always kind to our patients, and we don’t put unnecessary burdens on them. But based on our experience, we need to take precautions. In this case, I will allow them to go if they can pay 70 per cent of the bill,” Agelebe assured.