The governor ordered the investigation following a complaint by a father whose wife delivered triplets at the Murtala Muhammed Specialists Hospital.
Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, has ordered the state's Ministry of Health to investigate an alleged diversion of drugs meant for free maternal care at the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital.
The governor ordered the investigation following a complaint by a father whose wife gave birth to triplets at the hospital that he paid for some of the services rendered.
PREMIUM TIMES exclusively reported how the parents of the triplets said they had expended their entire savings on the purchase of drugs and other consumables before and soon after the birth of the triplets
The father of the triplets, Usman Magaji, said this while appealing for assistance from the government and kind Nigerians.
"I have spent all my savings from the day she was admitted to the hospital and I am left with nothing that is why I am soliciting assistance from the government and Nigerians
"From the day she was admitted for the delivery, I spent over N70,000. I am worried that the spending will continue because she is still in the hospital with no date fixed for discharge because she was delivered through a cesarean section.
"I need help because I have nothing left for me to take care of the lactating mother both at the hospital and at home. I have spent all the money at the hospital.
"I am grateful to God for the triplets. I need help because I don't know for how long we are going to stay at the hospital, I don't have money any longer that is why I am looking for help.
"I am grateful that the cesarean was conducted free of charge but I can no longer bear other expenses from the hospital which is why I am pleading for help.
"The three children - two boys and a girl need assistance to survive. I cannot afford them at the moment because I have (am) a labourer struggling daily to get labour and the job is no longer coming," Mr Magaji told PREMIUM TIMES.
The parents of the triplets paid for the care despite the Kano State government's policy of free medical care for pregnant women and child delivery services in all state-owned hospitals.
The governor's chief of staff, Wada Sagagi, said the governor ordered an investigation into why the parents of the triplets had to pay for maternal care.
Mr Sagagi stated this while presenting a gift of N100,000, a bag of rice and spaghetti to the father of the triplets at the government house.
"The governor is aware that your wife gave birth through cesarean section and that you have bought some drugs worth over N70,000
"The governor directed me to inform the state commissioner of health, (Abubakar Labaran), to investigate how families are still paying for maternal care at the Murtala Muhammed Specialists Hospital despite that the government has supplied drugs for free for maternal care.
"Though the hospital management board has stated that incident, the governor said he needed a more thorough investigation from the health ministry in that regard.
"The governor is assuring the people of Kano he will investigate the incident, to ascertain what happened that led to the shortage of drugs," Mr Sagagi said.
Hospital reacts
Before the governor ordered an investigation, the Executive Secretary of the state's Hospital Management Board, Mansur Nagoda, denied that there was a shortage of drugs for maternal care at the hospital at the time the triplets were born.
He said the parents of the triplets were lied to attract public sympathy.
The hospital management board issued the denial through a statement signed by its spokesperson, Samira Suleiman, on Monday.
"The Executive Secretary Kano State Hospitals Management Board, Mansur Mudi Nagoda has reputed a story making rounds that a mother who gave birth to triplets is stranded in Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital due to the inability of the family to afford essential care for the newborn and their mother who gave birth through cesarean section.
"The said mother has been provided with the necessary treatment and still receiving adequate care in the facility.
"The Chief Medical Director of Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital Dr. Tijjani Usman explained that the patient was operated on the 29th of September 2023 without any complications, drugs and other consumables were provided by the hospital which are part of the supplies from the Kano state government.
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"The main challenge of the patient is the fear of the unknown of how to take care of herself and the babies since the husband depends on daily paid jobs to take care of the family in which the daily paid jobs are not forthcoming.
"Dr Tijjani lamented that the patient and her husband were only trying to solicit support from the government and well-to-do in society to be able to cater for the babies considering the state of the economy of our country.
"The claim made that they have already spent 70,000 since she was admitted for the Cesarean section may be on other living expenses and other commodities that are not part of free maternity.
"Dr Nagoda reiterated the state government's commitment towards health service delivery in the state adding that issues concerning free maternity are a continuous process, not a one-time thing.
"Just a few days ago we shared free maternity commodities with facilities and the process was carried out by the media. Anytime we are distributing those commodities, we always call the media to attest and witness the event," the statement read.
