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

A tragic incident at the Turai Umaru Musa Yar’adua Maternity and Children Hospital in Katsina has sparked public outrage after a pregnant woman, Aisha Najamu, died when health workers allegedly refused to accept a bank transfer for urgently needed oxygen.

Witnesses told Katsina Times that Aisha arrived at the hospital critically ill and required immediate oxygen support. However, the cashier on duty reportedly declined to process payment because she had no cash—citing an internal policy that forbids the acceptance of bank transfers.

One eyewitness, who attempted to pay on her behalf, said he pleaded repeatedly for staff to accept a transfer so treatment could begin. He said the cashier insisted on “cash only,” in strict compliance with hospital rules. In desperation, he offered to pay an extra fee and even presented a $100 bill to cover the oxygen cost, but the staff still refused.
According to him, Aisha “cried for help” until she died around 11:30 p.m.

When contacted, hospital officials said no formal complaint had been lodged except one forwarded by the human-rights group IHRAAC. Cashier Aminu Ibrahim Kofar Bai, speaking on behalf of management, expressed condolences and said the hospital would investigate any staff found negligent.

Hospital authorities defended their controversial payment procedure, explaining that the Katsina State Government’s TSA guidelines prohibit transfers into personal accounts. They also revealed that the facility currently has no POS machines and relies solely on cash payments. The management further highlighted a persistent shortfall of medical oxygen, which they often source from Daura.

Head of Pharmacy, Perm Usman Salisu Wada, admitted that oxygen supply is limited but suggested the cashier may have “over-adhered” to policy out of fear of being accused of wrongdoing. He noted that the hospital has previously supported distressed patients who later refused to settle their bills.

The tragedy has drawn renewed attention to chronic challenges in Katsina’s public hospitals. In a separate complaint, resident Rabi’u Yakubu accused nurses of neglect during his wife’s blood transfusion, saying the second of three scheduled bags was left hanging for hours until it eventually spoiled.

Anonymous staff sources told First Weekly Magazine that such lapses are common, mainly due to dire manpower shortages. One source alleged that “nearly two-thirds of personnel are casual workers earning around ten thousand naira.”

As public anger mounts on X (formerly Twitter), reports of negligence, rigid bureaucracy, and weak emergency responses continue to fuel calls for urgent reform of Katsina’s overstretched healthcare system.