My naija hospital experience
At first, it appeared to be a dream or something I wasn’t sure of, but, the voices became
louder and clearer. I woke up from my short sleep and of course, I was not dreaming. It was a cry
for help from a poor woman whose husband was at the point of death and a callous nurse who
was carrying out her oga’s instructions.
Woman: Nurse abeg no let my oga die, abeg help me treat am. We go pay your money later.
Nurse: Madam carry your husband comot for here now, na today? Na so una go use sweet mouth
finish dey beg, after person don use good mind treat una, una go disappear. I no fit dey se m
salary pay another man gbese o.
Woman: (Still crying, kneeling and begging) Aunty nurse abeg, you be woman like me. Help
me, na only my oga dey work. If e die who go take care of me and my pikin? I swear, tomorrow
I go meet e oga for work, I go even borrow pay you back. Day don dark, I no fit go anywhere
now.
Nurse: Story………lazy and jobless woman. So you no get work, na only your oga dey work.
See your sef na. Abeg carry your wahala dey go, I wan lock gate mtchew. If you no fit find
#15000 deposit, nobody go touch your husband, e go die for here
At this point, I could not take it any longer, I was mad and furious. What kind of a heart
does this nurse have? Is she even human or the devil? I struggled out of my sick bed and walked
to the door. The moment the nurse and the woman saw me, they both rushed to me, each trying
hard to be heard. The nurse knew I was influential and had little money to spend, she came trying
to explain how ungrateful patients in such situation had been in the past, she was trying so hard
to justify her actions. The woman on the other hand, had no idea of who I was but was in need of
help to save her husband. “Madam, abeg help me beg nurse make e call doctor, my oga dey die
for here”. Without saying a word to both, I pulled out my debit card from my jean pocket and
signaled on the nurse to take the sick man in while I headed to the cash desk to make deposit.
Within minutes, the hospital staff swung into action preparing the patient for an
emergency appendectomy. Apparently, the patient had appendicitis (Inflammation of the
appendix) but had managed the pain with home remedies and over the counter pain medication
for lack of fund for hospital bill. However, the story was different on that particular night, the
appendix ruptured and he passed out. The poor wife was alarmed and called for neighbors’ help,
they were brought to the hospital by their kind neighbors. The surgery was successful and by
morning, the patient was stabilized and was moved to the ward.
I paid more money for his post-surgical care, left my business card with the hospital and
asked them to call me when the patient is ready to be discharged and when the bill is ready. I left
the hospital before the family had the chance to say thank you. Who needs a thank you for saving
a life given by God? As for the nurse, she avoided me for the rest of the night till I left in the
morning.
But who do we really blame? The failed government and system, the nurse carrying out
her boss’ instructions, the non-affordable health care system, the patients who absconded without paying their bills in the past or who exactly. Stay tuned for more stories on “My Naija Hospital
Experience”.
louder and clearer. I woke up from my short sleep and of course, I was not dreaming. It was a cry
for help from a poor woman whose husband was at the point of death and a callous nurse who
was carrying out her oga’s instructions.
Woman: Nurse abeg no let my oga die, abeg help me treat am. We go pay your money later.
Nurse: Madam carry your husband comot for here now, na today? Na so una go use sweet mouth
finish dey beg, after person don use good mind treat una, una go disappear. I no fit dey se m
salary pay another man gbese o.
Woman: (Still crying, kneeling and begging) Aunty nurse abeg, you be woman like me. Help
me, na only my oga dey work. If e die who go take care of me and my pikin? I swear, tomorrow
I go meet e oga for work, I go even borrow pay you back. Day don dark, I no fit go anywhere
now.
Nurse: Story………lazy and jobless woman. So you no get work, na only your oga dey work.
See your sef na. Abeg carry your wahala dey go, I wan lock gate mtchew. If you no fit find
#15000 deposit, nobody go touch your husband, e go die for here
At this point, I could not take it any longer, I was mad and furious. What kind of a heart
does this nurse have? Is she even human or the devil? I struggled out of my sick bed and walked
to the door. The moment the nurse and the woman saw me, they both rushed to me, each trying
hard to be heard. The nurse knew I was influential and had little money to spend, she came trying
to explain how ungrateful patients in such situation had been in the past, she was trying so hard
to justify her actions. The woman on the other hand, had no idea of who I was but was in need of
help to save her husband. “Madam, abeg help me beg nurse make e call doctor, my oga dey die
for here”. Without saying a word to both, I pulled out my debit card from my jean pocket and
signaled on the nurse to take the sick man in while I headed to the cash desk to make deposit.
Within minutes, the hospital staff swung into action preparing the patient for an
emergency appendectomy. Apparently, the patient had appendicitis (Inflammation of the
appendix) but had managed the pain with home remedies and over the counter pain medication
for lack of fund for hospital bill. However, the story was different on that particular night, the
appendix ruptured and he passed out. The poor wife was alarmed and called for neighbors’ help,
they were brought to the hospital by their kind neighbors. The surgery was successful and by
morning, the patient was stabilized and was moved to the ward.
I paid more money for his post-surgical care, left my business card with the hospital and
asked them to call me when the patient is ready to be discharged and when the bill is ready. I left
the hospital before the family had the chance to say thank you. Who needs a thank you for saving
a life given by God? As for the nurse, she avoided me for the rest of the night till I left in the
morning.
But who do we really blame? The failed government and system, the nurse carrying out
her boss’ instructions, the non-affordable health care system, the patients who absconded without paying their bills in the past or who exactly. Stay tuned for more stories on “My Naija Hospital
Experience”.
Comments