Bello Abubakar, a 35-year-old man from Zaria, Kaduna State, is in a critical condition after being discharged from the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Teaching Hospital, Shika, due to unpaid medical bills.
Abubakar, who suffered a devastating leg injury involving multiple fractures, said he requires urgent wound care and bone repair surgery. However, he has been unable to afford the N230,000 required for the next phase of his treatment.
“I come from a poor family. My father is late, my mother is elderly, deaf, and dumb, and as the firstborn, I am the breadwinner. But I have no reliable source of income,” he said.
Abubakar recounted the circumstances of the accident, which occurred while he was riding a commercial motorcycle. “A lorry hit us and ran over my right foot, tearing it open and fracturing three bones,” he explained.
Rushed to ABU Teaching Hospital, Abubakar received initial care and spent three months at the facility. During this time, he relied on donations from kindhearted individuals to cover his bills. However, when the funds ran out, the hospital discharged him despite his unresolved medical condition.
“The N230,000 is for filling the open wound with tissue from my thigh,” Abubakar said. “Only after that can the fractures be repaired, and I don’t even know how much that will cost.”
Since his discharge, his condition has deteriorated. “The wound remains untreated, and the fractures cause me unbearable pain and sleepless nights. My health is getting worse,” he lamented.
Doctors have informed him that the fractures cannot be addressed until the wound is properly healed. This, he said, has left him in a precarious situation, as he lacks the financial means to continue treatment.
In a heartfelt appeal, Abubakar called on the public for assistance. “I am pleading with the good people of Nigeria to help me. Without treatment, I risk losing my leg or even my life,” he said.
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