The University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital UNTH), Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu State, has reacted to a trending video alleging that it gave out three children of a patient who died after surgery at the facility to unknown persons.

The video, taken inside the premises of the hospital, alleged that the deceased lady, Chinyere Jennifer James, had died during a surgery at the hospital, adding that the hospital staff gave out her children to unknown people when they could not ascertain their father or relatives. It also alleged that one was given out to a pastor while the other two were given to a lady.

But in response, the hospital stated that it had no involvement in the allegations in the viral video. It, however, admitted that the deceased lady died at the facility during surgery and that her remains had been deposited at its morgue, awaiting collection by the family.

Public Relations Officer of the hospital, Boniface Uchelue, told The Guardian that the hospital never gave out the children of the deceased to anyone nor was involved in any such negotiation.

“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”, he said

Uchelue added that the deceased children were not registered with the hospital, adding that they were already “bonding with this caregiver while their mother was alive”.

He stressed that it was unfair to link the hospital with selling children to unknown people, stressing that “we did not engage in any negotiation on how the children should be taken care of”.

Negative reactions had trailed the UNTH recently, following the death of Charity Unachukwu, who was said to have died as a result of negligence by workers of the hospital.

The deceased’s relative, Phina Ezeagwu, had taken to social media after Charity had died from a vehicle accident in the hospital after over 12 hours of waiting for treatment.

She accused the workers of negligence, alleging that “nothing is working at UNTH, not even control of junior staff”.

The hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Prof Obinna Onudugo, promised to investigate the claims of the author of the write-up, describing them as “serious”.