New year tragedy! One-year old baby dies in Uyo hospital over N30,000 deposit

… I followed instructions from my Director –Dr Essien

… You will pay for it  - Barr. Umorok 

Late Little Miss Celina Umorok

While other families are basking in the euphoria of the season, the family of Barr. &  Mrs Ekong Umorok is greeted by tears and sorrow as one of their twin daughters was abandoned to die because the father could not provide the deposit payment of N30,000 immediately. Narrating his ordeal in the hands of Dr Essien who works at Premier Medical Services beside Monty Suite along Edet Akpan avenue, Barrister Umorok told our reporter that the twin babies develop high temperature on Friday 1st January and were vomiting. The mother in reaction purged them and in the morning, they both rushed them to the hospital. According to him, the hospital has a medical retainership with Universal Energy, where he works and therefore he was entitled as one of the staff of the company to enjoy their facilities. On getting to the hospital with the emergency case, the doctor, instead of attending to the sick babies as emergency cases, went into writing, prescribing and what they call the history.

According to eye witness and the hospital source, the doctor spent almost an hour writing the history while the parents kept pleading him to commence treatment or at least diagnose the baby as she was dying. Yet, all their pleas fell on deaf ears and when he finally finished his two-page history, he told the desperate parents that the package i.e the health insurance they have with their company does not cover dehydration which he said was the illness.
The parents agreed and he requested a deposit of N30,000 before any treatment could be administered on the baby. The parents, at this point pleaded with the doctor to commence treatment while he rushes to withdraw the money through the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) along Nwaniba road, but the doctor insisted, after calling the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, one Dr Udokang, the doctor vehemently told the family even before the dying baby that except the money is paid immediately, nothing will be done. At this point, the father rushed out and after a long while the doctor, sluggishly brought out his stethoscope and place on the baby’s heart and it was too late, the heart was not beating any longer. The wife, in her desperation, ran to the Church with the cold baby. From the church, took the remaining twin to NEDEKE hospital along Udo Ekpo Mkpo street Off Nwaniba Road. On getting to the hospital the doctor told me ’’the baby is dead already and the doctor identified the case to be dehydration and swung immediately into action. He summoned the nurses and commenced treatment and immediately revived the remaining twin. According to the NEDEKE doctor, the twins suffered from the same illness (dehydration) and needed urgent attention. What however surprised the parents was the hospitality and passion which NEDEKE hospital displayed. “They did not even ask of money from us, let alone treatment or advance payment. They simply requested me to pay whatever I had as advance after bringing back the life of my remaining daughter. Premier Medical Service have killed my daughter, and will pay dearly for it! Barrister Umorok stated in tears. When contacted for his side of the story Dr. Essien told our reporter that it is the policy of the hospital to collect payment or deposit before treatment. He recalled how he treated an asthmatic patient and when he got better a pastor came and took him away and refused to pay saying that God healed him, so since then they have a standing order. He confirmed that he called his Director, Dr Udokang during the incident and that he told him to shun them except they paid the money. He however admitted the offence and pleaded for forgiveness.