A pregnant woman, Aisha Najamu, has died at the Turai Umaru Musa Yar’adua Maternity and Children Hospital in Katsina State, following an alleged refusal by a health worker to accept a bank transfer for the payment of oxygen, maintaining that only cash should be allowed.
The incident took place on Monday night after the patient was admitted to the facility in critical condition and in immediate need of oxygen support.
An eyewitness who spoke to Channels Television on Friday said the cashier on duty declined to issue a receipt or process any transfer, citing a hospital policy that forbids electronic payments.
According to him, a man who tried to intervene begged the cashier to allow a transfer so the woman could be stabilized, but the staff member insisted that the rule must be followed.
The witness testified that he personally offered more money and even tried to pay with a $100 bill out of sympathy, but the cashier refused to accept the payment.
He said the moment was “deeply distressing,” adding that the woman cried for help until she died at about 11:30 p.m.
Representatives of the hospital told Channels Television that, except for one complaint forwarded through a human rights organisation, IHRAAC, no formal complaint had been received from members of the public.
The cashier, Aminu Kofar-Bai, condoled with the family and said the hospital would look into any act of its staff believed to constitute negligence.
The hospital’s payment procedures were defended by officials, who explained that Katsina State’s policy on TSA disallows the receiving of transfers into private accounts.
They further clarified that the hospital does not have POS terminals and operates strictly on cash payments.
Head of Pharmacy Usman Salisu Wada explained to the committee that the hospital’s oxygen supply was limited, often having to be sourced from Daura Local Government Area; however, the staff involved may have “over-adhered” to policy due to fear of accusations of misconduct.
He said the hospital has had situations where patients were assisted in emergencies but later failed to settle their bills.
Channels Television also gathered reports of broader challenges in several state-owned health facilities, including inadequate emergency response, poor patient handling, negligence, and rigid enforcement of internal rules issues that many residents say discourage them from seeking care at government hospitals.