A Good Samaritan has settled the bill of a 21-year-old woman, Blessing Agbo, and her newborn baby boy, who were detained in a Lagos hospital for four months over a medical bill.
It was learnt that the man, who wanted to be anonymous, also gave Agbo N50,000 for baby food and clothes.
This is just as the management of the hospital, God Cures Hospital, appealed to Nigerians to stop calling at the facility to pay for the bill.
It was earlier reported that Agbo went into labour sometime in June while her live-in lover, Chibugo Duru, a truck driver, travelled to Calabar, Cross River State, on a business trip.
She was said to have undergone a caesarean section and was delivered of a baby boy after Duru agreed to pay N245,000 for the operation.
He was, however, said to have fled the hospital after paying N30,000.
Duru, who told PUNCH Metro that he was preparing to pay Agbo’s bride price in December 2017, said he stopped going to the hospital over threats of arrest by the hospital management.
He claimed that the hospital turned down his offer to amortise the bill.
But the hospital denied the allegations, saying the 27-year-old abandoned his lover and baby despite signing an undertaking.
It claimed that Duru once assaulted the new mother during an altercation over the bill.
Our correspondent gathered that after the report, a Good Samaritan contacted the hospital and paid the bill through an aide.
A top official of God Cures Hospital, who asked not to be named, said the man paid into the hospital’s account.
He said, “The man called through his aide. I was told he is a politician based in Abuja. We also had to give him some discounts. After paying the bill, he gave the woman and her baby the sum of N50,000. He said he wanted to be anonymous. But since then, we have had some other people coming to the hospital and offering to settle the bill. I think it is important you help us tell people to stop offering to pay the bill. I have personally received up to three calls on this case already.”
Her lover, Duru, said, “She was discharged on Friday morning. We are in the house together now; both mother and child are fine. Thank you for the assistance.” (Punch)