Segun and Mary Ayeni, parents of a set of conjoined twins, have raised the alarm over decisions taken by the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu State not to release the medical records of their daughters, Miracle and Testimony, and to solicit funds on behalf of the parents.
The babies had been transferred to the UNTH immediately after delivery on November 16, 2015.
Mary stated that two Western hospitals had indicated interest in offering their expertise to successfully separate the twins, but that the hospital had refused to cooperate.
An actress, Mrs. Caroline Danjuma, who is the founder of a non-governmental organisation, Hopeville Foundation, which has since taken up the twins’ case, added that she contacted one Prof. Nene Obiayo at the hospital for the scans and she was turned down.
Danjuma said, “I personally called the professor and asked ‘Why aren’t you releasing these scans to hospitals that are willing to assist?’ She asked me, ‘What do they need them for?’”
But the Public Relations Officer, UNTH, Mr. Cyril Keleze, described Obiayo as an emeritus professor of paediatric surgery who was well qualified.
Danjuma further stated that the hospital had been distributing its account details for individuals to donate funds.
Danjuma said, “What right does a hospital have to be giving out its account number for people to pay money? It is very wrong. I had even told the mother that after sorting out the team of doctors and after their research had been completed to determine the cost, then we will create an account in the name of the children and then people would start donating into that account.
“Whatever money has been donated will be made public and the remaining will be invested in the children’s education, which will also be made public. At the end of the day, the children are like a money-making industry for them (the hospital).
Keleze confirmed that the N5m previously stated by the Chief Medical Officer, UNTH, Dr. Christopher Amah, in February, for the surgery had not changed and that that the hospital was soliciting for funds on behalf of the parents.
The UNTH spokesperson said the hospital had made appeals and that some “well-meaning Nigerians” had indicated interest but that they had yet to make the payments promised.
“The parents are aware of all this. The hospital communicated with them. They know why they (the twins) are still there. They see them being taken care of. What’s wrong with that? If people enquire on how they can help with money for the surgery, what’s wrong if the hospital releases the account number to them?
But Segun said he and his wife were in the dark about decisions taken by the hospital concerning his daughters.
He said, “They can’t tell me that they involved me. They won’t say that to my face. It was even someone that called me and told me about the N5m. If I knew about it, why would I deny it?
“Are they not my children? If I had not seen the account number published in a national newspaper on February 10, I wouldn’t have believed. Is it the right of the hospital to use their own account number? I’ve never seen such a thing done in the civilised world.”
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