A pregnant woman, identified only as Aisha Najamu, has died at the Turai Umaru Musa Yar’adua Maternity and Children Hospital in Katsina State after a health worker allegedly refused to accept a bank transfer for oxygen services, insisting on cash only.
The incident reportedly occurred on Monday after the victim arrived at the hospital in critical condition, requiring urgent oxygen support.
According to Channels Television on Friday, an eyewitness said the cashier on duty declined to issue a receipt or process payment because the deceased did not have cash on hand, in line with the hospital’s internal rule prohibiting transfers.
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A man who attempted to intervene reportedly pleaded with the cashier to accept a transfer so the woman could be treated, but the cashier maintained that hospital policy strictly forbade bank transfers and that staff must abide by the directive.
The witness added that, out of sympathy, he offered to pay an additional fee and later presented a $100 note to cover the cost, but the cashier still refused. The witness described the scene as deeply distressing, stating that the woman cried for help until she died around 11:30 p.m.
The hospital management, when contacted, said they had yet to receive a formal complaint from the public regarding the issue.
The hospital representative, Cashier Aminu Kofar-Bai, expressed condolences and assured that management would visit the family and investigate any staff member found negligent.
However, hospital officials defended their payment policy, stating that the Katsina State Government’s TSA guidelines prohibit accepting transfers into personal accounts, adding that the hospital does not have POS machines and relies solely on cash payments.