A 24-year-old mother and her baby have been released after being detained for four days due to unpaid hospital bills.
Rukaya Issah of Bologu in the Kusaug area of the Upper East Region gave birth to a baby girl on Thursday, December 22, at Vineyard Hospital in Bawku, but was unable to pay the hospital bills.
Rukaya was left stranded after her husband was unable to pay for her Cesarean section and other medications, which cost GH₵885.
Sule Fatawu had ridden his bicycle about an hour back home in Bologu to speak to family members to raise some money to pay the hospital bills.
“I am yet to meet my people to see how I can get the money paid to the hospital,” the 22-year-old said over the phone.
Sule would take about an hour to get to the facility by bicycle from Bawku to Bologu. This implied that the wife would sleep in the facility another day.
However, thanks to the timely intervention of the Sung Bie’la Foundation, Rukaya now has the freedom to return home.
Zenabu Awinbe Salifu, the founder, decided to pay GH₵885 cedis to settle the hospital bills along with an undisclosed amount for Rukaya’s upkeep.
“It is a privilege to help the poor and needy, which is why I am here,” Zenabu explained.
Though Zenabu only learned about Rukaya’s situation when she went to the hospital to donate items, she stated that such situations always require timely intervention from the public.
Rukaya sobbed when the hospital bills were paid. She stated that she never expected anyone to come to her aid.
Sule, her husband, was surprised and speechless over the phone. He didn’t say anything for nearly a minute because he didn’t know who had come to his aid.
“I can only thank God for such wonderful assistance.”
Every month, about 100 pregnant women visit the Vineyard Hospital, with only a few experiencing complications.
Midwife Joyce Boahene, the in-charge, told JoyNews that only a few near-misses are recorded, but they are all revived.
Joyce stated that mothers who are unable to pay their hospital bills stay at the facility for a maximum of five days.
“We don’t have a choice but to keep the mothers,” Joyce explained.
Joyce has been working at the facility since 2012, but this is the first time a mother’s bills have been settled.
“Few women cannot afford to pay. To settle the payment, families always consult with their relatives,” she stated.
Joyce added that Zenabu’s timely intervention was commendable and nice because there is hardship everywhere.
She urged her to keep doing good because it is the only way to save humanity.
Zenabu asked Rukaya if she did anything for a living. However, the 24-year-old is currently unemployed.
Zenabu however promised to pay for Rukaya to learn a skill because she is currently unemployed.
She reasoned that getting the mother something interesting would earn her enough money to keep her going.
