The baby was discharged two days later after receiving two rounds of transfused blood. But what was initially assumed to be a life-saving procedure soon spiralled into a nightmare, according to Praise……CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
A father, Praise Mumbo, in Edo State, is demanding ₦100 million in compensation from Safebliss Medical Center in Benin City after his baby allegedly contracted HIV during a blood transfusion at the private facility.
Praise Mumbor had accused the private medical facility of infecting his one-year-nine-month-old son, Jeremiah Mumbor, with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) through a tainted blood transfusion.
In an exclusive account made available to SaharaReporters, the aggrieved father narrated how his child, who was previously healthy and HIV-negative, fell critically ill on February 6, 2025. He was rushed to the hospital, where doctors claimed the boy’s blood level had dropped dangerously low.
The father said he paid ₦40,000 for the transfusion, which was carried out immediately. The baby was discharged two days later after receiving two rounds of transfused blood.
But what was initially assumed to be a life-saving procedure soon spiralled into a nightmare, according to Praise.
The case, which has now attracted state government intervention, has raised serious questions about negligence and accountability in Nigeria’s healthcare system.
The grieving father told SaharaReporters that for months, he and his family suffered in silence, waiting for the Ministry of Health to investigate how his child was infected with the life-threatening virus. According to him, he had made multiple trips to the Edo State Secretariat without receiving any meaningful attention.
the Edo State Commissioner for Health, Hon. Dr. Cyril Adams Oshomile, reached out directly. The Commissioner invited both the family and the hospital’s management to a meeting scheduled for August 4 at the State Government Secretariat,” a family source stated.
Praise said on the day of the meeting, he was accompanied by his own father, two relatives of his wife, and a human rights activist. The hospital was represented by its owner, her son, who also acts as the facility’s administrator, and a female lawyer.
The session began with introductions. However, according to Praise, when the hospital’s lawyer introduced herself, the Commissioner reportedly questioned why the hospital had brought legal representation, stressing that his priority was finding a resolution.
“The Commissioner told them plainly that the baby’s file was with him and he had gone through it. He said if this matter goes to court, the hospital will lose, and someone must go to jail. From that point, the atmosphere in the meeting became tense
The father asserted that the hospital management attempted to shift responsibility, with the owner suggesting that perhaps the child had been taken to a pharmacy earlier, where the infection might have occurred. The Commissioner immediately dismissed this claim, pointing out that pharmacies dispense medication but do not administer blood transfusions.
He also recalled that the hospital’s administrator repeatedly interrupted discussions, prompting visible irritation from the Commissioner.
“The Commissioner got angry and told him to stop making a noise, reminding them that the truth was already clear,” he said.
At the end of the session, the Commissioner laid out two key resolutions. First, the Ministry of Health would support the child’s parents by providing them with employment opportunities, enabling them to sustain themselves while caring for their baby.
Second, the hospital must take responsibility and offer financial support for the baby’s medical needs.
According to the father, the Commissioner suggested ₦700,000 in financial assistance. But rather than accept responsibility, the hospital owner continued to deflect blame.
He said the hospital owner argued that she was a retired nurse and financially broke. According to Praise, she further claimed that the baby bore multiple scarification marks, allegedly inflicted by a traditional healer through the grandmother.
“The Commissioner, however, ordered that the claims be investigated. The hospital’s lawyer asked for more time, promising that they would go home and ‘make plans’ to raise some money by the next meeting. No concrete figure was offered at the time,” he said.
“After the meeting, the Commissioner invited some journalists to speak briefly about the case, underscoring the government’s interest in resolving the crisis.”
But the father said he insisted that the hospital’s tactics are aimed at evading accountability. He stressed that subsequent investigations disproved the hospital’s allegation that the baby bore scarification marks.
“This is not the first time I’m going to the Secretariat. In fact, this is my seventh visit. I went there three times before the story went viral, and I was ignored. It was only after the publications that the Commissioner started calling me for meetings,” the father explained.
He expressed gratitude to the Commissioner for his interventions so far but maintained that the hospital’s attempt to offer ₦300,000 compensation is an insult to his child’s suffering and his family’s ordeal.
“They are proposing ₦300,000 for a baby whose life has been permanently altered. This is wickedness. I am demanding ₦100 million because this is not just about money—it is about justice and accountability. Somebody must be held responsible,” he said.
The father warned that if the Ministry of Health fails to ensure proper accountability, he is prepared to pursue the matter in court.
“The Commissioner himself said they would lose in court. If that’s the case, why are they still playing games? This is about my baby’s life,” he added……CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
