- A young sickle cell patient has appealed for urgent financial assistance after her hospital suspended treatment and threatened to discharge her due to unpaid bills.
- She revealed that she has been hospitalized for nearly two weeks following a severe health crisis but can no longer access essential medication or medical supplies.
- Despite her worsening condition including a leg ulcer and stiffness in her other leg the hospital has told her she will be discharged in the morning solely because she cannot pay.
A heartbreaking video of a young woman appealing for urgent financial assistance has surfaced online, drawing widespread concern over her critical condition.
The woman, a sickle cell patient, explained that she fell seriously ill at the end of November and was rushed to the hospital after collapsing.
After spending nearly two weeks on admission, her treatment has now been paused because she cannot afford the required medications and medical supplies.
The most shocking part of her appeal is the hospital’s decision:
The woman revealed the hospital informed her she would be discharged by morning.
This forced discharge is not because she is recovering, but because she cannot pay her bills.
She also revealed her health has significantly worsened, stating she already has a leg ulcer and her other leg has stiffened due to complications, leaving her barely able to walk or move around to seek physical help.
In other news….. Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, has clarified that the Federal Government cannot legally regulate or fix domestic airfares, stressing that the sector has been fully deregulated since the Babangida administration.
Speaking after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja, Keyamo stated:
“Government has absolutely no powers to fix prices for private enterprises. That is what deregulation means. But that does not mean we are leaving the airlines without engagement.”
The Minister acknowledged that high ticket prices are driven by significant structural costs for operators, including limited access to aircraft, unfavourable lease arrangements, lack of local maintenance facilities, and the persistent need for foreign exchange for mandatory C-checks abroad.
However, Keyamo announced a major positive development attributed to reforms under the Cape Town Convention: the return of a major international aircraft lessor after nearly two decades, granting a local carrier a dry lease at a rate three times cheaper than previous offers. He predicted this breakthrough will naturally lead to lower fares.
“With cheaper dry leases coming in, more airlines will have access to aircraft. More aircraft automatically means stronger competition. And competition is what brings prices down in any free economy.”
Keyamo expects passengers to begin seeing the impact of increased fleet capacity within the next few months to a year.
On the issue of multiple taxes and charges, Keyamo confirmed his ministry had received a regional advisory from ECOWAS but noted that taxation falls outside his jurisdiction. He said: “I cannot wake up one morning and abolish taxes. These revenues go into the Federation Account. The Finance Minister, the tax authorities, and other stakeholders must all be at the table.” He confirmed that operators’ concerns have been escalated to the relevant authorities, and discussions are ongoing.
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