Woman incurs N6b medical bill, detained in LASUTH after losing twin children to stillbirth
A once-vibrant young woman, Yemisi Mohammed is battling for her life at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital( LASUTH) and needs support.
Yemisi’s medical situation was detailed by her family on the Gofundme account opened in her name as:
“Yemisi Talabi has been known to me for several years and was on good course to becoming a mother of two this year.
Sadly due to socioeconomic constraints and serious health complications she is now bedridden and a detained in patient in the critical care unit at Lagos state teaching hospital [LASUTH] Ikeja Lagos.
Her problems date back to March when she developed swollen feet with advise to bedrest and monitoring for fluid retention.
The situation escalated to a critical state in April 2017. Upon becoming quite unwell, her then husband, Mr Mohammed took her to her relatives who sought immediate expert attention and she was admitted at LASUTH in critical condition.
In a flurry of events, a quick scan established she had stillbirths which were previously undetected and had developed advanced sepsis.
In order to save her life, she was placed in an induced coma and an emergency ceasarean and subsequent amputation of her right leg was executed.
The family rallied round and fronted the requested N1 million – (approximately £2450) to the state hospital for her care.
Following the operations, she remained in the coma and on a ventilator with life support care until she recovered. She responded to the treatment for sepsis but emerged with continued other complexities necessitating continued assisted breathing, intravenous feeding and continued antibiotic and analgesic treatment.
In June a social media appeal was made as the hospital approved her discharge for home care with continued oxygen and medical administration.”
At that time, the hospital was willing to discharge her as clinically ready for continued treatment and rehabilitation at home but administratively unwilling as she has now accrued a care bill of just over N7 million above the deposits paid. This appeal raised a further N1 million but was inadequate to satisfy the hospital financial team to release her on personal bond.
Physiotherapy and consistent bed care has not been great and she has rallied in the last month but is ridden with leg ulcers and mid stage bed ulcers. She has now had her tracheotomy removed and is no longer dependent on oxygen or intubated feeding and is now consuming semi solids.
Attempts to move her around have yeilded clinically positive results in that she responds with pain and alarm indicating nerve damage is nominal. However she has had no physiotherapy or psychotherapy and as such she is struggling to speak, cannot stand or leave the bed due to pain and mass loss and is in need of urgent care for her bedsores, continued medication, physiotherapy and psychotherapy.
She is lucid but sometimes incoherent and has not yet been told although it is likely she may have guessed that her twins are dead.
Over the last month I have been in touch with her family and communicated with her and established that she needs support and quick expedition out of the hospital bed and into a more comfortable and stimulating environment at home.
With the hospital no longer supplying medical supplies and care she is being cared for, fed and medicated by the family whilst detained for bill payment.
Last night I made an effort to speak to her at length and realised she is ashamed and besrs feelings of inadequacy at her experience and is traumatised having fainted while pregnant and woken to a missing leg and no babies. She has experienced hair loss and weight loss which have made her further anxious and she is afraid for the future and unsure what will come.”
According to Yemisi’s sister, Janet Talabi, there remains an outstanding balance of N6,123,250 to be raised before she can be allowed to leave the hospital.
Banks details are given as:
Fidelity bank, Lagos Nigeria
Account number 6010124593
Account holder Name: Janet Tokunboh Talabi
