A
woman, Mrs Ukamaka Nkwegu, who was recently delivered of triplets at
Maternal and Child Health Clinic, Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital
has been abandoned by her husband.
The Sun Newspaper reports that
Nkwegu, who, until she was abandoned, was the third wife of her husband,
was brought to the hospital from her village, Ozibo Obegu Ibenta,
Ebonyi Local Government Area of the state, after prolonged labour.
She
was in prolonged labour in the village when a pastor saw her and took
her to the health centre where she delivered the babies. The triplets
are two males and one female.
Matron of the health centre, Mrs.
Elizabeth Odoh, said Ukamaka, who is in her late 20s, was abandoned at
the mercy of the maternity staff and some people who have been taking
care of the babies.
“Last Tuesday, a good Samaritan
took her from a park where the woman was kept and was in labour, for
hours, at the park. They abandoned and accused her of witchcraft, that
doesn’t want her to deliver her baby.
A pastor’s wife took the
woman to her church and they started praying. At a point, it was like
the woman will not deliver safely. That was when they brought her to
this hospital.
When
I asked the woman, she said she had her first pregnancy as twin, the
second pregnancy was a single baby. With my experience, I discovered it
was multiple pregnancy and I delivered one. About 10 minutes later, the
second one came out. Fifteen minutes later, the third one came out.
“Since
that day, till now, people have been coming here. While I decided to
make it a public affair is that since that Tuesday, I have not seen the
husband of this woman or his representative. He has not called on phone
to know how his wife and babies are doing.”
Mrs
Nkwegu who was seriously overwhelmed by her situation called on the
state government and other public-spirited individuals to help her to
care for the babies.
She said she has been the one catering for herself since she conceived by doing menial jobs for people.
“My
husband asked me to go to a Traditional Birth Attendant in our village
to go and deliver my baby that he doesn’t have money for the hospital
and I did that but the traditional birth attendant whom I met told me
that my case was above her and abandoned me after several
hours.
A pastor saw me and took me to this hospital where I delivered my baby successfully”, she said.