have cried out for help after giving birth to triplets which
they say they cannot adequately cater for. They said they got
help from the Anambra state Ministry of Women Affairs but
it wasn't enough. According to them, they got 1 bag of rice,
12 toilet tissues, 1 Dettol liquid, 1 packet of pears soap and 1
pears cream for children, and N2000.
According to Saturday Sun , Oluchukwu gave birth
unexpectedly at their home on June 16th, without knowing
she was about to give birth to triplets. Her husband, Asiegbu
narrated the ordeal they went through in giving birth to their
children, two girls and a boy christened - Ibetom, Okuanata
and Chukwusomeje.
"On the 16th June, 2015 around 2am, my wife woke me up
amid deep groaning, telling me that she was in labour.
Before I could lead her out of the house in order to take her
to the local birth attendant where she used to go to for
antenatal, the baby started coming out. The whole event
surrounding it was so strange to me because I had never
witnessed that kind of thing before. I don’t know what to do
and where to start. Luckily, there’s a nurse living in our
neighbourhood so I quickly ran to her house to solicit for her
assistance. When she came, she was apparently confused
too as she could not give me satisfactory answer on the
cause of the continued painful moaning of my wife despite
the fact that a baby had come out. With hot tears in my eyes,
I painfully and helplessly watched my wife going down. I
couldn’t bear it; hence, I summoned courage and went down
to the local birth attendant who presided over her antenatal
although it’s a bit far from my house. At first, she declined
to come to our aid saying she could not come out by that
time of the night but I begged fervently; explaining the
pathetic condition of my wife. I told her that I don’t
understand what the first nurse was doing and that I can’t
afford to lose my wife. When we got to my house, we took
her inside the room to ascertain the exact problem because
the baby came out while we were outside. Before we knew
it, my wife was delivered of a second baby. I never expected
that. In fact, I was dumbfounded. I don’t know whether to
start rejoicing or what. You know that kind of thing. I was
very concerned about the health condition of my wife that
night. Still surprised, they told me that the third child has
come out. Ha! I never expected that my wife would be
delivered of twins talk more of triplets. Just then, my wife
collapsed; shaking very convulsively. She was bleeding too.
Lord! I was seriously devastated. At once, I was gasping for
breath. It felt like the whole air in the world has been
exhausted. But the nurse said I should bring her to her own
‘clinic’. She said she could handle it. There again the
problem of transport means popped up. But luckily, my
brother’s car was available so he came over and we headed
to the nurse’s apartment. But my spirit was not comfortable
with the treatment the nurse was giving her because she
wasn’t responding to the treatment as expected. I was
praying fervently for the day to break so that I could seek
alternative means. In the morning, I rushed her to Amaku
General Hospital, Awka. I was hoping that the government
would come to our aid given the condition we found
ourselves. But before I knew it, expenses were heavily raining
on me. I never minded because my major concern was my
wife and the triplets. But there again, she started shaking
convulsively in the hospital. That was when the health
workers knew it was a serious matter. Thank God they were
able to manage the convulsion and bleeding and other
complications. Thereafter, I paid for some pints of blood that
she was given and numerous expensive drugs. I was paying
for drugs every day. I expended about N200,000 which I
borrowed from the village meeting in that hospital. That is in
addition to N180,000 I had earlier saved, waiting for her
delivery date. At a point, I told them that the money I
borrowed has been exhausted. I pleaded with them to direct
me on how I can get assistance from the Anambra State
government. Sadly, because I was no longer able to pay for
their numerous medical bills and drugs, they stopped
attending to my wife; you know how hospital people used to
behave. As we speak, I owe many people heavily. The first
money I borrowed was N100,000 and later on I borrowed
another N100,000 making it N200,000 plus other smaller
amounts I borrowed. I also paid the previous two nurses
who attended to her in the village N10,000 each.
Nevertheless, I thank God for everything” he said, adding that
“The health workers did not tell me exactly what the problem
was, rather, they were blaming the local nurses who
attended to her in the village. They said she was supposed
to undergo caesarean operation. I said God forbid; thanking
God it was not through operation. I told them since God has
made it that way they should do the needful as my major
concern was the welfare of my wife and triplets. They kept
writing drugs upon drugs and there was nothing concrete
they said was the cause of the convulsion. But I suspected
she was short of blood as she had bled throughout the time
her labour lasted.”he said
Speaking fuurther, he said "Due to lack of money, we left the
hospital before the due date to the village. As we speak, my
wife is still sick. The newly born babies are not feeding well.
All we are offering them is pap. There is no way she can
breastfeed the three of them at the same time. The nursing
mother should be feeding very well so that the breast would
be producing enough rich milk for the infants. I am just
managing the whole thing. There are several nutritional
foods they should be eating but because there is no cash in
my hand they don’t. We are passing through difficulty now.
Her postpartum has been ruled out because there is no
money. At a point, I wrote a letter to the Ministry of Women
Affairs and Social Development humbly requesting for their
assistance. I also attached pictures of all of us while in the
hospital. But since that month of June to date, they did not
respond. My wife, knowing the condition she was passing
through, complained that she and her new babies were
feeding poorly. Truly she was right. I had to go back to the
ministry to know what has been holding back my humble
request for assistance but the commissioner wasn’t on seat.
The officials I met kept directing me from one office to
another. When I went to Child Department, I didn’t see
anybody but a corps member. She told me that the workers
in that department did not come because their children were
sick. She directed me to come back later without any specific
date. Later they directed me to another office, which also
directed me back to Child Department. I waited a whole day
without result and I had to go back home. Unfortunately, my
first two children, a girl and a boy fell seriously sick due to
malaria fever recently. I was just returning from the chemist
shop where I took them to get drugs and saw some people
in my house. They said that it was Commissioner for Women
Affairs and Social Development that sent them. They came
with 1 bag of rice, 12 pieces of toilet tissue, 1 Dettol liquid, 1
packet of pears soap and 1 pears cream for children, and
N2000. They said that I shouldn’t come back to the ministry
again. They said the N2000 was for my sick children. I wrote
that letter on 22nd June, 2015. It was just three days ago
that these officials from the ministry came to my village. My
wife would have died if not the assistance the village meeting
rendered to us.”he said
His wife also complained also complained of poor feeding of
her babies
"My children are not feeding well as they should. A quantity
of milk that is meant for one person is shared among the
three; and I must say it is affecting them seriously. Also,
breastfeeding them without adequate balanced food intake,
is affecting me too. I’m not yet back to my normal self,
health wise. I have not been going to postnatal because
things are quite hard for us financially.”she said.
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