Port Harcourt, Rivers State — A year-old baby and his elderly grandmother have been dramatically freed from a year-long detention at a private medical facility in Port Harcourt, following the decisive intervention of the Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Adaeze Oreh.
The detention, a shocking case of collateral custody, stemmed from an outstanding ₦6 million delivery bill after the baby’s mother allegedly succumbed to postpartum haemorrhage immediately following the birth.
Meridien Hospital, the private facility at the centre of the scandal, had reportedly held the infant and the elderly woman for over twelve months as leverage against the colossal debt. While the bereaved family managed to raise a portion of the fee, submitting approximately ₦1.4 million, they were unable to settle the staggering balance, prompting the hospital’s controversial action.
The distressing case gained traction on social media, drawing widespread attention and public pleas for intervention. Responding with commendable swiftness, Dr. Oreh acted immediately to resolve the impasse, securing the unconditional release of both the baby and his grandmother.
The Commissioner’s action has been met with a massive outpouring of praise from the public. Commentators lauded Dr. Oreh for demonstrating extraordinary humanity and grace in her public service role, highlighting the moral imperative of prioritising patient welfare especially that of an orphaned infant over punitive financial measures.
The incident has sharply focused national attention on the contentious issue of detaining patients over medical bills, a practice widely condemned by human rights activists and medical ethics organisations. While hospitals frequently cite the need to recover costs, the use of a baby and a grieving relative as human collateral has been described by observers as profoundly unethical and legally questionable.
The release of the baby and his grandmother marks a vital step towards restorative justice for the family, but the underlying systemic issues regarding healthcare accessibility and hospital debt policies in the country remain.
