Viral Video Sparks Outrage
The University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu State, has denied reports circulating in a viral video that it gave out the children of a deceased woman to unknown persons.
The video, filmed within the hospital premises, alleged that one Chinyere Jennifer James died during surgery at the facility and that her three children were handed over to strangers — one reportedly to a pastor and two to a woman — after hospital staff failed to identify their father or relatives.
The disturbing claims have triggered widespread public anger and calls for investigation into alleged child trafficking within the hospital.
“We Did Not Give Out Any Child” — Hospital
Reacting to the allegations, UNTH’s Public Relations Officer, Boniface Uchelue, confirmed that the woman had indeed died at the hospital but firmly denied that the institution handed over her children to anyone.
“The lady in question, unfortunately, died during surgery. But while she was alive in the facility, a caregiver who was attending to another patient was relating with her. When she died, this same caregiver took custody of her children. It has nothing to do with us. She took them away out of sympathy, following the unfortunate death of their mother,” Uchelue said.
He explained that the children were not registered as patients of the hospital and were already bonding with the caregiver before their mother’s death.
“We did not engage in any negotiation on how the children should be taken care of,” he added, insisting that the hospital’s only role was to provide treatment and keep the deceased’s remains in the morgue pending collection by her family.
Hospital Clarifies Surgery Claim
In a later clarification, UNTH stated that the deceased did not undergo surgery before her death. According to the management, she was admitted to Female Ward 9 with a diagnosis that included cervical cancer but died shortly after admission.
The statement noted that the woman came into the facility weak, accompanied by two children, and without any known relatives. Her body, it said, was deposited in the hospital morgue and later collected by relatives who also paid her bills.
A family member reportedly confirmed that they took both the deceased’s corpse and her children after completing the necessary processes.
UNTH Under Scrutiny
The controversy comes amid recent public criticism of UNTH over another death at the facility. In that case, a woman named Charity Unachukwu was said to have died after waiting several hours for treatment following a road accident.
Her relative, Phina Ezeagwu, had accused hospital workers of negligence, claiming that “nothing is working at UNTH, not even control of junior staff.”
In response, the hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Prof. Obinna Onudugo, described the claims as serious and promised a full investigation.
Calls for Clarity and Accountability
While UNTH insists it was not involved in giving out the deceased’s children, the viral video has raised public concern about how vulnerable dependents are treated when patients die in medical facilities.
The identity and whereabouts of the caregiver who reportedly took custody of the children remain unclear, as do the steps being taken by social welfare authorities to ensure the children’s safety.
Until investigations are concluded, the incident continues to stir emotions — a tragic mix of grief, distrust, and unanswered questions surrounding a mother’s death and her children’s fate.