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A pregnant woman, identified as Aisha Najamu, has died at the Turai Umaru Musa Yar’adua Maternity and Children Hospital in Katsina State after a health worker allegedly refused to accept a bank transfer for the payment of oxygen, insisting on cash only.
The tragic incident occurred on Monday, December 1, after the victim arrived at the hospital in critical condition and urgently required oxygen support. Speaking to Channels Television on Friday, December 5, an eyewitness claimed the cashier on duty declined to issue a receipt or process payment because the patient did not have cash, citing the hospital’s internal rule against accepting bank transfers.
A man who attempted to intervene reportedly pleaded with the cashier to accept a transfer so the woman could be attended to, but the cashier allegedly insisted that the hospital policy strictly prohibits payment via bank transfer.
The eyewitness said that, moved by sympathy, he offered to pay an additional fee and even presented a $100 note to cover the cost, but the cashier allegedly still refused.
He described the scene as “deeply distressing,” stating that the woman cried for help until she died around 11:30 p.m.
When contacted, the management of Turai Umaru Musa Yar’adua Hospital said they had not yet received a formal complaint from the public regarding the incident, except through a human-rights organisation, IHRAAC.
A hospital representative, Cashier Aminu Kofar-Bai, expressed condolences to the family of the deceased and assured that management would visit the family and investigate any staff member found to have acted negligently.
However, hospital officials defended their payment policy, explaining that Katsina State Government’s Treasury Single Account (TSA) guidelines prohibit accepting transfers into personal accounts.
They added that the hospital does not have POS machines and therefore relies solely on cash payments. Officials also lamented a shortage of medical oxygen, which they said often has to be sourced from Daura LGA.
The Head of Pharmacy, Usman Salisu Wada, acknowledged that oxygen supply is limited but said the staff member involved “may have over-adhered” to policy out of fear of being accused of misconduct. He explained that in previous cases where the hospital assisted distressed patients before payment, many later failed to settle their bills.
