By Desire Emmanuel
A pregnant woman, Aisha Najamu, has died at Turai Umaru Yar’Adua Maternity and Children Hospital in Katsina State after one of the staff members allegedly refused to accept a bank transfer for the payment of oxygen.
A competent source in the state told Impact Nigeria News Online on Thursday morning that the woman arrived at the hospital in a critical condition and urgently required oxygen support.
However, the cashier on duty was said to have declined to issue a receipt or process payment because her family members who came with her did not have cash in hand. This, the cashier said, was in line with the hospital’s internal rule prohibiting transfers.
A man who also came to see a patient at the hospital reportedly pleaded with the cashier to accept the bank transfer so the woman could be treated.
However, despite his pleas, the cashier remained adamant, insisting that the hospital policy strictly forbids bank transfers and that staff must abide by the directive.
The man, who described the scene as “deeply distressing,” said after some moments of pleading, the helpless woman cried for some time until she died around 11:30 p.m.
Responding to the incident, the management of the hospital said they had not received a formal complaint from the public except through a human-rights organisation.
The hospital representative, Aminu Ibrahim Kofar Bai, expressed condolences and assured that the management would visit the family and investigate any staff member found negligent.
He also defended their payment policy, saying the Katsina State government’s Treasury Single Account (TSA) guidelines prohibit accepting transfers into personal accounts.
He added that the hospital currently does not have POS machines and relies solely on cash payments while also lamenting shortage of oxygen, which he said the hospital often purchased from Daura with cash.
Head of Pharmacy section in the hospital, Usman Salisu Wada, admitted that oxygen supply is limited but said the staff member “may have over-adhered” to the cash payment policy out of fear of being accused of misconduct.
The source stated that reports of negligence, poor emergency response, and rigid adherence to internal policies continue to fuel public frustration with the state’s healthcare system.
