A woman and her newborn quadruplets have died due to inadequate medical care in Hiitom, Ikyor community, Ushongo Local Government Area of Benue State.
The tragedy occurred at St. Francis Primary Healthcare Centre, Ikyor, where the woman, a widow, went into labour around 4 a.m.
She was transported to the facility in a wheelbarrow, delivering two babies on the way and the remaining two on arrival at the facility.
A report by Vanguard newspaper said she became very weak and restless after childbirth, eventually passing away.
Her premature [prem] babies also died one after the other.
A team sent by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Sir James Iorpuu, arrived at the scene and rushed the last surviving baby to the General Hospital in Katsina Ala for stabilization before transferring her to Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH), Makurdi.
Unfortunately, she also did not survive.
The Officer in Charge of St. Francis Primary Healthcare Centre, Isaac Gbilin, stated that the woman had never attended antenatal care due to lack of support.
He also confirmed that she suffered severe blood loss and that her babies were born prematurely at seven months.
“She said she had no one to help her, and when I examined her, I found she had a severe haemorrhage. We had already prepared to manage it, but unfortunately, she passed away,” Gbilin explained.
Her father, Stephen Shaagee, said that his daughter had been struggling to care for her three surviving children after losing her husband.
He had taken her in following disputes with her in-laws, who were unable to support her during pregnancy.
The Kindred Head of Ikyor, Chief Samuel Iyohule, through Tax Collector Ephraim Ayua, thanked the state government for its intervention, though it came too late.
He also appealed for better healthcare and basic amenities in the community.
The tragic incident left the Hiitom, Ikyor community in mourning.
Residents, who had gathered in excitement to see the quadruplets, were devastated to learn of their death.
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