•Hospital bills, inflation making child-bearing difficult
By Ngozi Nwoke
As part of efforts to cushion the unbearably high cost of living due to the removal of fuel subsidy and biting inflation, the Lagos State Government gave a directive recently to state-owned general hospitals to attend to pregnant women free of charge during antenatal care and childbirth.
Dr. Adedayo with a mother and baby
The statement on the official website of the Lagos State Government, titled “Fuel subsidy palliatives: Lagos hospitals offer free antenatal, child delivery services,” states that the medical intervention covers normal vaginal delivery and caesarean section (CS) services.
However, this gesture seems not to fully serve its purpose as checks revealed that the cost of antenatal care, birth and CS operation still remains unaffordable for most families.
Mrs. Dinma Angus, a seven-month pregnant petty trader, who had just finished her antenatal consultation at a maternity clinic in Ajana, Surulere, Lagos, expressed unhappiness at the charges.
•Ike-Okpute
The 38-year-old mother of one, told Daily Sun that she paid N34,300 for antenatal registration, which covered medical tests, routine drugs, checkups and a scan.
She said: “This is my first time of coming to this hospital. I didn’t know they charged high for their antenatal registration. The former hospital where I registered and was receiving antenatal care was demolished by the government. It was close to my house.
“Now, I have to take public transport to come here, which is not good for my condition as a seven months pregnant woman. I got here and was told the registration fee was N34,300. I was already weak and tired from the long journey. I had no choice but to pay. I hope their service will be worth the money.”
Mrs. Angus said, with the constant increase in the cost of medicines and treatment, she feared the cost of her child delivery when she is due as she was mandated to pay N220,000 for normal delivery.
Another pregnant woman, Mrs. Confidence Akpogu, said she paid N40,000 for antenatal pre-registration and still pays N3,500 for each consultation with the doctor.
Mrs. Akpogu, who is in her 30s and a civil servant in Lagos State, felt pity for underprivileged pregnant women who are unable to bear the high cost of things.
She noted: “It is true that the cost of child delivery services are high. Hospitals increase costs almost every single day. The amount I pay for antenatal consultation from my three months of pregnancy till this seven months, was never the same. I paid N2,500, N3,100 and N3,500. It depends on the doctor on duty each day.
“I have managed to this point and I have to continue till I put to bed. With financial assistance from my husband who has been tremendously supportive, I am hopeful that delivery will be stress-free. I will only have to worry about the labour pain and not worry about payment.
“I only sympathise with other pregnant women who are unable to bear the financial burden. Not only the women, their husbands as well. Cost in this hospital is N180,000 for normal delivery. Despite my condition, I try to assist a few of them that come here for antenatal and can’t pay for anything. But, truly, it’s not easy for anyone.”
Mr. Patrick Egelem, a 48-year-old electrician whose wife, Rachel, is eight months pregnant, said she was told to bring items like disinfectants, detergents, drinks and biscuits when she comes to deliver her child.
The father of two boys, who was expecting a baby girl, expressed worry over delivery charges. He said: “My wife will be due for delivery next month. I have this bitter-sweet feeling because I’m happy that she will soon be free from the pregnancy stress and I’ll become the father of a baby girl. But, on the other hand, I’m worried about how much we have spent on hospital checkups and how much we will spend for delivery and post-delivery.
“We were told that female babies are more expensive for delivery. I don’t understand how and why. But we were billed N200,000 for delivery. I don’t know how much I have in my savings account. Anyhow, my wife must have our baby. I have to go and find money and stop worrying.”
Egelem declared that he and his wife have decided not to have another child after the birth of his baby girl.
The reporter gathered that hospitals in Mainland Lagos charge as high as N50,000 for antenatal care and N150,000, at least, for normal delivery services, while over N400,000 is charged for caesarean sections.
In addition, a pack of popular baby diapers is currently sold at N6,000 for 100 pieces, N3,500 for 44 pieces, N4,800 for 32 pieces and N3,400 for 30 pieces.
With this high rates, families are left with no choice but to seek alternative measures by using napkins or pieces of cloth.
The same is the case for baby clothes and skincare products.
Mrs. Precious Ike-Okpute, who came in company with her husband to the Lagos Island Maternity Hospital, said the actual fee for antenatal registration was N26,000, while N1,000 was for a compulsory health bulletin that acted as a guide on how pregnant women should care for their health.
According to her, the N26,000 was different from the hospital delivery fee of N58,500, for normal vaginal delivery, while N160,000 is meant for CS.
She said: “One thing I always pray for is safe delivery. Wealthy women who can afford twice the amount still die during childbirth or experience one compliaction or the other. These circumstances are unpredictable despite the measures taken to prevent them from happening. That is why pregnant women must be fervent in prayers. Their loved ones and well-wishers are also to uphold them in prayers.
“With the high expenses, no pregnant woman should have complications. Otherwise, she would be made to pay through her nose. Women who are to undergo CS are asked to pay N180,000 to N200,000 and this excludes emergency cases.
“Even after the payment for antenatal registration, they bill us for drugs. These are drugs that are meant to be included in your payment.”
It was learnt that an additional N20,000, which they call hazard fee, must be paid once the pregnancy exceeds 28 weeks.
Lagos Island Maternity Hospital charges as follows: N15,000, delivery pack; N9,000, diet; accommodation (N10,000); admission pack (N6,000); gown (N5,000); miscellaneous (N2,000); notification of birth (N1,500); cervical screening (N5,000); and circumcision/ear piercing (N5,000).
Mrs. Aisha Abegunde, who was just delivered of a set of twins (two boys) at the same hospital, said that she spent a total of N208,000 for various tests, antenatal registration and CS.
The woman in her 40s bitterly lamented that after emptying their pockets for all hospital expenses, catering for her post-delivery is a big challenge facing them.
She said: “My babies were born with complications, but the doctors are doing everything possible to treat them. They are only two weeks old here. It has not been easy for us since I became pregnant. Initially, we didn’t know it was a set of twins until the pregnancy got to four months.
“Since then, we have been worrying about how to cope with the twins. We just managed to pay for the caesarean section and hospital bills. Now we have to worry for our feeding and the upkeep of the babies. The hospitals are not even helping to cushion the impact of the extreme poverty. It is an unfortunate situation.”
Meanwhile, Mrs. Bimpe Adedayo, a medical doctor at a hospital in Ajegunle, Lagos, was seen attending to some pregnant women on how to keep up with antenatal consultations during pregnancy.
She confirmed that the cost of antenatal, child delivery and medical supplies was extremely expensive, adding that the hospital also feels the pinch because of high cost of drugs and other essentials.
She said: “It is no news that the country is experiencing economic crisis. Cost of living is skyrocketing consistently. The hospital is not left out in this crisis. It has monthly expenditures to make. The hospital also pays taxes that are higher than the income.
“We are not a charity organisation. This is business and the sole purpose of business is to offer service and make profit to sustain it. In our little way to assist, our registered patients are allowed to pay in installments. That’s the much we are capable of doing.”
Ms. Mfon Uduak, a midwife at a clinic on Lagos Island, said: “In this clinic, the first we do before we register any woman for antenatal is to carryout a scan on her to know whether the baby is in good condition. If the scan shows twins or triplets, the woman will be referred to a general hospital because we don’t have the capacity to handle that.
“For those who register with us, we check the blood of the mother to be sure that the packed cell volume is okay. If it is, we will register her with N38,000, but if it is not she will pay N47,000 because we will be giving some drugs and supplements to build her blood level. The PCV is not normal when it is less than 30 per cent; we consider it normal when it is 30 per cent and above.”