A mother of premature triplets in Enugu has appealed for urgent financial assistance as hospital bills for her babies climb to nearly ₦5 million.
Mrs Blessing Odenigbo, a fruit seller from Aku in Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area, delivered the triplets at Divine Assurance Hospital after suffering severe pregnancy complications that forced doctors to perform an emergency caesarean section.
She said her blood pressure rose dangerously high, leading to breathing difficulties and early delivery at 32 weeks, more than a month before her expected due date.
The babies—two boys and a girl—were placed in incubators and put on oxygen support immediately after birth.
According to Mrs Odenigbo, the hospital initially charged close to ₦300,000 daily for the care of the three babies, with the bill rising rapidly.
“After just one week, we were told the bill had reached ₦3.85 million and would continue to increase,” she said.
She added that her family had exhausted their resources paying her own medical bills and could no longer cope with the escalating cost of neonatal care.
Her husband, Mr Nnamdi Odenigbo, said the situation had left the family distressed, noting that his wife was still recovering and unable to breastfeed due to severe swelling in her legs.
A consultant paediatrician at the hospital, Dr Kenchukwu Agu, confirmed that the hospital commenced treatment without an upfront deposit because of the life-threatening nature of the case.
He said the daily cost of care was later reduced as the babies’ condition improved, but the prolonged stay in incubators had pushed the total bill to about ₦5 million.
The family has appealed to the Enugu State Government, Governor Peter Mbah, his wife, and members of the public for assistance to enable them to settle the hospital bills and return home with their children.
