Pregnant Woman Dies in Katsina Hospital After Staff Reject Bank Transfer for Oxygen Payment

By Tgnews Reporter 

A heavily pregnant woman, Aisha Najamu has died at the Turai Umaru Musa Yar’adua Maternity and Children Hospital in Katsina city after health workers allegedly refused to administer emergency oxygen because her family could only offer bank transfer and foreign currency instead of cash.

Eyewitnesses told Katsina Times that Aisha was rushed to the hospital in critical condition late Tuesday night and needed immediate oxygen support to survive. However, the cashier on duty reportedly insisted on cash payment only, citing strict hospital policy that prohibits bank transfers or deposits into personal accounts.

A good Samaritan who tried to intervene narrated the heartbreaking scene:

“I begged the cashier to accept a transfer of any amount, even offering extra money on top. When that failed, I brought out a $100 note to cover the oxygen cost, but she still refused. The woman was gasping, crying for help in front of us until she gave up around 11:30 p.m.”

The hospital’s Head of Cashier Unit, Aminu Ibrahim Kofar Bai, confirmed that the facility currently has no functional POS machine and operates a cash-only policy in strict compliance with the Katsina State Treasury Single Account (TSA) guidelines, which forbid transfers into individual staff accounts.

Speaking on the incident, Head of Pharmacy, Perm Usman Salisu Wada, expressed regret, saying oxygen stock is critically low and often sourced from Daura.

He admitted the cashier “may have over-adhered to the rule” out of fear of disciplinary action, adding that the hospital sometimes assists indigent patients only to be left with unsettled bills later.

Hospital management said it had not received any direct complaint from the family but was alerted through the International Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Agency (IHRAAC). Officials promised to visit the bereaved family and investigate any staff found negligent.

In a separate but related case at the same facility, Rabi’u Yakubu accused nurses of criminal negligence after his wife Khadijah was scheduled for three pints of blood but the second bag was left hanging for several hours until it expired, further endangering her life.

Insiders who begged for anonymity revealed that most wards are severely understaffed, with nearly two-thirds of workers being casual staff earning as little as ₦10,000 monthly, leading to low morale and frequent absenteeism.

The twin incidents have reignited public outrage over recurring cases of preventable maternal deaths, rigid bureaucracy, and decaying infrastructure in Katsina’s public health system.

Women’s rights advocates are now demanding an independent inquiry and immediate installation of electronic payment systems in all state-owned hospitals.

As mourning continues in Aisha Najamu’s family compound in Katsina metropolis, many are asking: how many more mothers must die before cash-only rules and empty oxygen cylinders stop becoming death sentences?