“The doctors and other workers at the hospital have been very considerate, as they have not evinced any traits of inhumanity towards the family…”
By Dele Ogunyemi, Punch Newspaper
After waiting in the Lord for the fruit of the womb for 12 years, a housewife in Delta State has been delivered of a set of quadruplets through a Caesarean Section in a private Hospital in Effurun but she is presently stuck in the hospital over the family’s inability to pay the medical bill of N4m.
This was contained in an open letter tagged, ‘A Call for Urgent Help!’ issued on behalf of the family by Comrade Derrick Oritsematosan Agberen, National Coordinator of No Justice, No Peace Initiative, copies of which were made available to journalists in Warri, Delta State on Wednesday.
According to the letter, the new mother, Mrs. Gladys Okodo Omodiagbe, a member of the Living Faith Church, a.k.a. Winners Chapel, located along Water Resources in Effurun, hails from the Ndokwa West Local Government Area of Delta State, while her husband, Mr. Amos Omodiagbe, hails from Edo State “but has lived in Delta State for more than 10 years.”
The letter explained that the quadruplets were put in an incubator since October 21, 2023 when the mother gave birth to them, and the service costs N20,000 per child for a day, making it N80,000 for four of them.
“They were put in the incubator on October 21, 2023, and they had been there until some days ago, when three were brought out, leaving the fourth baby.
“The four babies were delivered prematurely through a Caesarean Section around October 2023, and the babies had to be kept in the incubator.”
Agberen appealed to good-spirited Nigerians to rise in support of the.mother of the quadruplets to enable the family to offset the bills incurred in the hospital.
He explained the urgency of the help needed to salvage the situation saying, “It is necessary that I bring to the notice of the public the plight of a dedicated Christian family.”
The letter partly reads, “Despite this exhilarating news, every concerned individual is hugely worried about the plight of the Omodiagbes, as, since after the birth of their children, their very existence is threatened, as it concerns the basic fundamental human rights.
“The Omodiagbes might not have expected quadruplets, and despite the babies’ arrival being a source of relief and glee, the family is currently financially incapacitated as they do not have money to pay the hospital bills. They are in an urgent need of financial assistance from the public. It is a very critical situation.
“They urgently need the sum of N4,000,050 as they have been able to pay N1,598,000 of the actual N5,598,050 needed to foot the bills.
“The clear picture is that the quadruplets were put in an incubator, and the service costs N20,000.00 per child for a day, making it N80,000.00 for the four of them.
“They were put in the incubator on October 21, 2023, and they had been there until some days ago, when three were brought out, leaving the fourth one there.
“Kindly note that this is beside the cost of delivery and treatment of the mother as she gave birth through a Caesarean Section. The hospital is Coastal Specialist Clinic, 39, 19th Street, Bendel Estate, Warri, Delta State.
“The doctors and other workers at the hospital have been very considerate, as they have not evinced any traits of inhumanity towards the family.
“This show of humaneness by the hospital management does not in any way mean that their charges should not be paid promptly.
“To provide for or care for a child comes with a torrent of financial, physical, and emotional challenges, let alone caring for twins, triplets, quadruplets, or more,” he said.
“I crave everyone to be responsive to the agony of the family by supporting them to provide childcare support for some time.”