The Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara has cleared all outstanding bills at a private hospital in Port Harcourt where an infant and his grandmother were allegedly held for about 13 months over non-payment.

This was contained in a press statement issued by the State Commissioner for Health, Adaeze Oreh, and made available to newsmen in Port Harcourt on Sunday, November 2.

Sunday Telegraph reports that there had been controversy after the family of one Ugochukwu Onyenehigo accused the hospital of refusing to release the baby following the death of his mother during pre-term delivery.

Last Wednesday, it emerged that the baby, Miracle, and his grandmother had been released after an understanding was reached between the hospital (name withheld) and the family.

The family’s lawyer had earlier disclosed that the hospital reduced the bill from about N6m to N2.7m, with an agreed payment plan with the father.

The child’s father, Onyenehigo, a generator repair technician, told our correspondent that a N50,000 monthly repayment plan had been agreed to enable the family to offset the revised sum.

He, however, appealed for further assistance to clear the N2.7m balance, saying, “I just started doing generator repairing work.”

Speaking in the development on Saturday, the Commissioner for Health, said the state government decided to offset the outstanding payments following the economic difficulties expressed by the baby’s father.

She said the hospital had been asked to furnish the ministry with the outstanding bill, and expressed satisfaction with the amicable resolution reached between both parties.

Oreh noted that the process was midwifed by the judicial service officer of the family court where “A case of child abandonment had been filed by the Hospital on humanitarian grounds”, adding that the agreement had been communicated to the court and the case withdrawn.

The Commissioner said, “In an emotional statement during the mini send-forth party for Miracle by the hospital, Mr Ugochukwu Onyenehigo, a generator repair technician, expressed economic difficulties with the repayment of the outstanding hospital bill.

“Although the agreement between both parties included the repayment plan, the Ministry has, at this point, waded in to offset the remaining balance.

“The Hospital has therefore been asked to submit a report of all outstanding balances to the Ministry of Health by Monday, 3rd November 2025.”

She added that the intervention would help the family cope with the responsibility of raising a young child, and thanked the general public for their concern.

“We are also immensely grateful to His Excellency Governor Siminalayi Fubara for his support towards the resolution of this matter.

“Thankfully, the family issues have been resolved and Miracle is now being cared for in his home environment,” she said.