Magnus Eze, Enugu

A couple residing in Enugu, Offorbuike Nneji, 33, and his wife, Chisom, 29, have been married for seven years. They have two girls, Adaora, six, and Nwabugo, four.

But manifold blessings came to the family on March 2, when Chisom, an auxiliary teacher at a kindergarten school in Uwani Enugu, was delivered of a set of quadruplets, three boys and a girl, at St. Patrick’s Hospital and Maternity, Owerri Road, Asata, Enugu.

Although the parents, who hail from Ogirishi, Obinagu Uwani in Akpugo, Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State, rejoiced over the birth of the babies, their excitement was not full as the reality of the hospital bill stared them in the face.

The bill from the hospital, sighted by the reporter, showed that the couple would have to cough out N1.5 million before they would return home with their babies. They were initially discharged by the hospital authorities on March 9, but were detained for their inability to settle the bills.

Offorbuike, a petty trader, said he was happy that his wife and the babies were still in the hospital. He said, shortly after they were discharged, the babies developed some complications, but they are now doing well and would be ready to go home once the bills are settled.

He admitted that he was informed at some point that his wife would give birth to a set of twins, but was shocked that the pregnancy ended up as quadruplets.

“I never anticipated quadruplets,” he said. “Some people would have abandoned them and run away but I knew that those little saints are blessings from God. He gave them to me for a purpose. The only problem we have now is how to pay the hospital bills and take care of them. I believe strongly that public-spirited people would come to our aid. We have written to our dear governor for assistance and we believe that he would do something,” he said.

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In a letter to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, dated March 15, 2019, the couple appealed for financial assistance to ‘bail’ the babies from the hospital: “We were discharged on the same day you got your victory on March 9, 2019, and could not meet up with the hospital bill, which is N1.5 million only. Our babies are soliciting assistance. We are still at the hospital.  Please, run to our aid.”

Similarly, the management of the hospital has appealed to the governor and other kind-hearted people and organisations to assist the couple.

Medical director of the hospital, Dr. Okafor Nnaemeka, in a letter to Governor Ugwuanyi, said that Chisom was admitted on January 4, 2019, on account of a pre-term uterine contraction in quadruplet pregnancy at a gestational age of 23 weeks plus five days.

“She was managed conservatively in the hospital till March 2, 2019, when she went into pre-term labour in the hospital ward.            

“She had caesarean delivery of quadruplets (three males and one female) who were immediately rushed into neonatal intensive care unit and were managed for low birth weight and pre-term challenges.

“Presently, mother and babies are all discharged and their comprehensive bill for mother and babies management is a total of N1.5 million only.”

Those who wish to assist the family could do so via Offorbuike Nneji’s account at Diamond Bank. The account number is 0004400999. Offorbuike may be reached on 07069581004