Akinbobola Akintunde Folajimi, the heartbroken husband of late Kemi Folajimi, a pregnant woman who tragically lost her life during labor, has made troubling revelations about the circumstances surrounding her death.
In an emotional interview with The Punch Newspapers, Folajimi recounted how a private hospital in Lagos allegedly denied his wife urgent medical care over a monetary deposit.
According to him, the medical staff demanded a N500,000 deposit before proceeding with any treatment, even as Kemi’s condition rapidly deteriorated. Despite his desperate appeals and willingness to secure the funds through any means possible, the hospital reportedly stood firm in their refusal.
“When we arrived, they examined her briefly and then told me to bring N500,000 before they could do anything,” Folajimi shared. “I was devastated. I begged them, told them I had about N80,000 in my account at that moment, and that I would raise the rest within the day. But they wouldn’t listen.”
Akinbobola, a farmer by profession, said he was prepared to sell off his livestock—goats, chickens, rabbits, and turkeys—and reach out to family members to raise the money. Still, his pleas were met with what he described as “cold indifference.”
“They showed no empathy. I cried, I begged, I explained how urgent it was. My wife was in pain, in labor, and they refused to touch her without that full deposit,” he said, visibly distraught.
When it became clear that he could not immediately provide the amount, the hospital allegedly referred the couple to the Epe General Hospital—located over 40 minutes away from their residence in Lakowe.
“The moment my wife heard the word ‘Epe’, she became visibly weaker. She knew the distance. She kept telling me it was too far,” he recalled. “I told the doctors what she said, but they insisted. They wouldn’t treat her.”
The young woman never made it to the referral hospital. Her condition worsened during the journey, and she died shortly after, leaving her husband in unimaginable grief.
The tragic account has sparked widespread outrage on social media, with many Nigerians expressing anger over the growing trend of hospitals refusing to treat patients in critical condition due to lack of immediate payment. Human rights advocates and health experts have condemned the practice, calling for stronger policies to prevent such fatal negligence in the healthcare system.
Calls for justice have intensified, with demands for the Lagos State Government and relevant health authorities to investigate the incident and hold the hospital accountable.
