How Kemi died while giving life, by Kemi Yusuf

I didn’t want to speak on the preventable death of the pregnant woman whose husband acussed a hospital of refusing to admit her because he couldn’t deposit N500k as requested and she later died with her unborn child.

The hospital management has denied ever making such a demand, adding that the late mother was not their patient and she didn’t register with them for antenatal care.

I have to admit that aside my lifelong advocacy on reducing maternal and infant morality rate in Nigeria, I am even more triggered by this case because the late mother is my namesake. I didn’t watch the clip shared by her widower, like I mentioned, I would have been so angered and saddened if I did.

As much as I never give government a breathing space, with regard to the provision of social services, most especially healthcare, I never tire on speaking on policy, reforms, making the right investments and widening access to heath insurance, the fact is people should only have the number of kids they can caterer for from start of pregnancy to when they turn 18 or graduate from university/learn a trade.

It’s women who die from poorly managed pregnancies. It’s women who live with the sorrow of dead babies/ children Under-5.

I have a younger family friend who died while having her 4th child at a TBA’s place like this Lagos man’s wife. There are thousands of women dieing during childbirth in Nigeria because they and their husband’s are poor.

The woman in this case is dead and this man is alive talking and searching for pity. Even rich people are having less number of kids.

A woman is dead and one stupid man who said he wanted a son after two girls is here talking nonsense in response to his critics like Dr Reuben Abati.

Beyond Dr Abati and people like me, who opined that an expexting couple should have more than a few thousands saved,
I have read many comments from Lagosians blaming the man and his late wife for not registering in any of the many govt hospitals in the state. Fashola invested a lot in healthcare in Lagos.

This man is simply irresponsible and insensitive. He was even recording his dieing wife. He is enjoying his brief fame. The worst thing a man can be is poor and foolish and then always seeking for pity.

Before people ask why the woman couldn’t pay for her safe delivery, this her loudmouth, dramatist of a husband said by himself, that she was hardworking, combining two jobs and he is a so called artist. It’s obvious the late woman was the breadwinner of the family.

Now that she died in the most painful manner, her daughters will suffer even more with their content creator/arist father.
Like I mentioned in the beginning, many will say my take is predictably pro-women. But such people should check the data on maternal mortality in Nigeria and tell me why we as a society shouldn’t be hard on anyone or a man who is poor and foolish enough not to plan his life and family size based on his economic realities.