Story, Louvier Kindo Tombe
She was still taking her drugs early on Wednesday 29 March 2023, when her husband received a call from the cité verte district hospital that her presence is needed at the hospital. The 27 years old nursing mother, Marie Prisca, immediately rushed to the health facility not knowing why she was called.
“I arrived there by 10 am,” Marie Prisca said.
As she presented herself, the director welcomed her and immediately presented a bill of 117.000 FCFA to her that she left without paying.
Marie Prisca was hospitalised at the hospital on 8 March 2023 after she underwent a caesarean section following a complicated pregnancy. Five days after, that is on 13 March, she was discharged from the hospital.
“Before we left, my husband asked for the bills, the hospital infirmarian and surgeon gave us a bill of 100.000 FCFA plus 15.000 FCFA for hospitalisation which we paid,” Marie Prisca told News Upfront.
That March 13, the couple left the hospital under the watchful eyes of everyone. They revisited the hospital twice for routine check ups and on both occasions, they were well received. 17 days after they left, the story changed.
The director of the cité verte district hospital was categorical when he decided to hold the lady hostage at the hospital until the new bill is cleared.
“I was shocked to hear from my wife that I still have a bill to pay at the hospital,” says the husband of Marie Prisca.
They have been home for three weeks and their only worry was the health of the woman who was still suffering from the stitches.
“I spent the night at the hospital inside the martenity ward with all the mostiquoes,” Marie Prisca said.
“They said I would only leave when I must have paid the bills.”
At the beginning all attempts to get her husband involved were to no avail.
“I asked them to call my husband, but they said they don’t have anything to do with him, that I was their patient, not my husband ,” she said.
Even when her husband showed up at the hospital, they initially refused that she steps out to meet him.
“They treated me as if I was a thief,” she said.
According to the director of the hospital, the new amount was supposed to feature in the initial bill presented to the patient.
“Is it my fault that they failed to do their job well? … how will I even believe the story three weeks after,” says Marie Prisca’s husband.
Inhumane treatment
Marie Prisca left her home that day without taking her bath. She actually spent the night at the cité verte district hospital without taking her bath.
When we arrived the hospital on Thursday 30 March, she was sitting alone on one of the beds in the martenity ward looking very weak.
“My health is not the best, and I have not taken my drugs since yesterday,” she said.
“I can’t feel fine here when I have not seen my children.”
The nursing mother left a-12-month old baby at home before being held hostage at the hospital. The baby was deprived of breast milk.
“That is pure banditry, how come a hospital is holding people hostage,” exclaimed the aunt of Marie Prisca who has been taking care of her since she was held at the facility.
“It’s my aunt who is taking care of me here, no one seems to care, she has been bringing me food,” Marie Prisca said.
“To these people, I don’t even have the right to go outside for no reason.”
She was referring to the nurses around her. She said “even to go and buy food for myself, am not allowed”.
Way forward
“All I want is to be freed because I don’t know what I’m doing here,” Marie Prisca said.
The director of the hospital was firm in his decision, “pay the bill and take your wife home”, he said as he received the husband in his office.
As the negotiation continued, the director at one point noticed that the aunt of Marie Prisca was not in support of his idea, he then asked her to leave the office. Marie Prisca’s husband was left alone with the director in his office.
“He pressured me to sign an engagement that I will pay the amount,” the husband said.
The director insisted that to take her wife home, he must advance the sum of fifty thousands (50.000 FCFA). By the time we were leaving the hospital, the husband was rushing around to get money for the bill. We later gathered from the aunt, that Marie Prisca was released on Thursday, 30 March 2023 by 6:00 PM obviously after the payment of the advance of 50.000 FCFA. The remaining 67.000 FCFA is still pending.
Hospital turned detention facility
Critics are actually questioning why a district hospital would take it upon itself to trick a patient and detain her in the hospital premises.
News Upfront learned that the nurses at the hospital were actually playing the role of police officers, preventing Marie Prisca from stepping out of the martenity ward.
“Has the hospital become a detention facility,” another patient at the hospital exclaimed.
