The parents of Aneesah Abdulkarim, a baby diagnosed with a congenital heart defect, has accused Duchess International Hospital, Ikeja, of medical mismanagement, child rights abuse and financial exploitation.

Aneesah was born on July 27, 2025, but barely six weeks later, doctors discovered she was living with Congenital Heart Defect (CHD) — a condition her parents say required urgent surgical intervention.

“The initial echocardiography report clearly stated that our baby needed surgery before three months of age,” her father, Engr. Dr. Abdulkarim Baba Rabiu, told NewsHeadline247. “We were warned that delaying the procedure could lead to serious complications.”

In search of specialised care, the family contacted Duchess International Hospital on September 16, 2025, through its Centre Manager. According to Dr. Rabiu, the hospital reviewed Aneesah’s medical reports and assured the family it had the expertise, manpower and equipment to handle the delicate pediatric cardiac surgery.

Two days later, an invoice was issued.

“They raised a bill of ₦14,305,000 for the surgery and told us that once payment was made, the procedure would be done immediately,” Dr. Rabiu said.

The family paid the full amount on October 6, 2025, trusting that their daughter’s life would soon be saved.

Shifting Medical Advice and Mounting Anxiety

Following payment, Aneesah was brought to the hospital on October 11 for preoperative assessment. However, the parents allege that only one test was conducted successfully, with the hospital blaming faulty equipment for the others.

“We were surprised that most of the preoperative tests could not be done because the equipment was ‘not in good condition,’” the father said. “Yet, we had already paid in full.”

More troubling for the family was what came next. According to them, the hospital suddenly changed its position on the urgency of the surgery.

“After payment, they told us the surgery was no longer an emergency and could wait until six months,” Dr. Rabiu said. “This was completely different from what our cardiologist and their initial assessment told us.”

Despite repeated emails and calls questioning the delay, the family says no clear explanation was provided. Eventually, they were informed that the surgery had been scheduled for December 19, 2025, with admission fixed for the day before.

Even that plan shifted at the last minute.

“Just two days to admission, they changed the date again and asked us to come late at night,” the father said. “At that point, we were exhausted but had no other option.”

A Surgery That Never Happened

On December 20, 2025, after hours of fasting in preparation for surgery, Aneesah was taken into the operating theatre. Three hours later, the parents were summoned by the surgical team.

What they were told, they say, left them shattered.

“One of the surgeons explained that after opening our baby’s chest, they discovered her pulmonary arterial pressure was too high,” Dr. Rabiu recounted. “They said they did not have the equipment to safely proceed.”

According to the parents, the procedure was abandoned.

“They opened her chest and stitched her back without repairing her heart,” he said. “That was not what we paid for.”

The parents were later allowed to see their daughter in the Cardio Care Unit.

“She was wrapped in bandages, with wires connected to her tiny body,” Dr. Rabiu said. “Seeing her in that condition was devastating!”

ICU Care, Complications and a Financial Shock

Aneesah was subsequently transferred to the Intensive Care Unit, where she developed infections including pneumonia and sepsis, conditions the parents attribute to the failed surgical intervention.

As the baby struggled to stabilise, another shock arrived.

“On December 31, a billing officer brought a statement showing they would refund just ₦1.63 million out of over ₦14 million,” Dr. Rabiu said. “We were completely stunned.”

A meeting with the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Olajide Ojo, followed. The parents say a verbal refund proposal of ₦6 million was made and rejected, before a revised offer of ₦7.65 million was later communicated.

“We found the offer grossly inadequate and psychologically traumatizing,” the father said. “Our baby was opened and closed without repair, yet we were expected to bear most of the cost.”

Demands and Allegations

The family now accuses Duchess International Hospital of misleading medical advice, inadequate pre-surgical assessment, lack of capacity to manage pediatric cardiac cases and violation of their child’s rights.

“They accepted payment to repair our child’s heart, not to open and close her for referral services,” Dr. Rabiu said.

The parents are demanding a full refund, continued medical care at no cost until Aneesah is fit to travel, support for overseas referral to India, a formal apology, and compensation for what they describe as emotional, psychological and physical trauma.

“We went to the hospital for healing,” the father said. “Instead, our baby’s life was put in greater danger.”

Hospital’s Response

Responding to enquiries from NewsHeadline247, Dr. Olajide Ojo, on behalf of Duchess International Hospital, said the hospital could not comment on specific details due to patient confidentiality laws.

“We are bound by strict legal and ethical obligations of confidentiality and patient privacy,” the statement read.

However, the hospital assured the public that the matter is being reviewed internally.

“All petitions and complaints received are subjected to thorough internal review processes, including clinical audits and management oversight, in line with our quality assurance standards,” the hospital stated.

Speaking further, Dr. Rabiu lamented that Aneesah’s condition has continued to worsen with each passing day, stressing that the same urgency with which the family was compelled to pay the ₦14,305,000 bill should now be applied to an immediate refund.

“Aneesah’s health is deteriorating daily. The urgency that pushed us to make full payment should equally be used in returning our money,” he said.

He added that as a medical institution, Duchess International Hospital should fully understand the fragility of his daughter’s condition and the dangers of further delay. According to him, the family cannot afford to wait while the hospital conducts internal audits or hides behind confidentiality claims.

“Our child may not have the luxury of time for internal reviews, privacy clauses or bureaucratic delays. After their medical inadequacies and misguidance, time should not be wasted. It is deeply painful to witness some healthcare providers in Nigeria deliver care in a way that strips patients of dignity, compassion and basic human feeling,” Dr. Rabiu stated.

As the dispute deepens, Aneesah’s case has raised broader questions about medical accountability, patient trust and pediatric care standards in Nigeria’s private health sector.

For one family, the search for justice continues — alongside the fight to keep their baby alive.