Pregnant Woman Dies In Katsina After Hospital Allegedly Rejects Bank Transfer For Oxygen

A pregnant woman, identified as Aisha Najamu, has died at Turai Umaru Musa Yar’adua Maternity and Children Hospital in Katsina after a health worker allegedly refused to accept a bank transfer for the payment of emergency oxygen.

Aisha was rushed to the hospital late Monday night in severe distress and reportedly needed oxygen immediately. According to an eyewitness who was present throughout the ordeal, the cashier on duty insisted that the payment had to be made strictly in cash, explaining that the hospital did not accept transfers under its internal payment rules.

The witness said several attempts were made to persuade the cashier to process the payment, including pleas from a man who stepped in to help. Despite the urgency of the situation, the cashier allegedly refused to issue a receipt or initiate payment without cash in hand.

Witness Says Woman “Cried For Help” Before Dying Around 11:30 p.m.

The eyewitness, who also attempted to pay on her behalf, said he offered extra money and later even presented a $100 note when it became clear she would not receive treatment without proof of payment. But according to him, the cashier still declined.

“It was deeply distressing,” he said. “She kept crying for help until she died around 11:30 p.m.”

Hospital officials acknowledged that they had been informed of the incident only through the intervention of a human rights group, IHRAAC. A representative of the facility, Cashier Aminu Kofar-Bai, extended condolences to the family and said the management would meet them and take action if any staff member was found negligent.

However, hospital personnel defended their payment limitations, saying they are bound by the Katsina State Government’s TSA (Treasury Single Account) regulations, which prohibit staff from accepting transfers into personal accounts. The facility does not have POS machines and depends solely on cash payments.

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The head of the pharmacy unit, Usman Salisu Wada, admitted that oxygen supply at the hospital is limited and that they often buy cylinders from Daura LGA. He suggested the staff involved may have “over-adhered” to internal rules out of fear of being accused of mishandling funds.

He added that in previous cases where the hospital treated critically ill patients before payment, many families later failed to settle their bills, creating tension between staff and management.

Several residents told reporters that rigid adherence to outdated policies, slow response during emergencies, and general negligence have become recurring issues in many government-owned healthcare centres across the state, a trend that has discouraged people from seeking treatment there.