National Hospital Abuja Detains Four-Year-Old Girl Over N275,000 Bill

A four-year-old girl identified as Success Isiah Aleburu is currently unable to go home after the management of National Hospital Abuja insisted the family has to settle an outstanding medical bill of N275,000 out of N300,000 incurred at the hospital.

According to a report by SaharaReporters, the little girl and her mother, Grace Isiah, were being held at the female and children ward, 3rd floor of the National Trauma Centre of the hospital because they could not afford to pay the bill for skin grafting surgery and other consumables.

Success was admitted into the hospital on July 2, 2021, following a referral from Wuse General Hospital as a result of second-degree burns she sustained when hot water mistakenly poured on her.

The incident occurred on Wednesday, June 30th 2021 at the Sabongari area of Bwari Area Council of the FCT when her brother allegedly pushed her towards the charcoal stove being used to boil a pot of water which splashed all over her body causing secondary degree burns.  

She was rushed to the Bwari General hospital but the health workers on duty told the parents that they could not handle her condition and she was referred to Wuse General Hospital.

Success was thereafter taken to and admitted at the emergency ward of National Hospital for treatment before being taken to the Intensive Care Unit. She was eventually taken to the theatre for skin grafting surgery on Thursday, August 5.

The surgery was carried out to enable her to walk which was successful.

Her father, Isiah Aleburu, was said to have paid the sum of N37,000 out ofN312,000 bill which includes the surgery and consumables leaving the outstanding balance of N275,000.

But since the doctors had certified Success fit and recommended her for discharge, the hospital management refused to let them go because of their inability to pay the balance.

The mother of the girl, Grace while speaking to SaharaReporters called on well-meaning Nigerians to come to her aid to enable them to leave the hospital.

She said the nurses and security guards had been monitoring her movement within the hospital premises with the view that she may run away.

She said, “I want to appeal to Nigerians to please help my family to raise the balance of N275,000 to pay their bill. They did not allow me to go out of the ward; even if I want to buy something, the security personnel always follow me.

“Even when my daughter goes to the toilet, the nurses will be shouting at me; where is Success? Where is Success? The nurse told me that they were doing their job.

“My daughter is tired of this place and my husband lost his job a year ago. The little deposit of N37,000 that we paid was raised by our church members and friends.

“We cannot afford many drugs that were prescribed by the doctors.”

As at time of this report Success could walk with her legs in the ward but she could not leave the hospital premises unless she paid her N275,000 balance.

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