Nigeria: Lagos rescues unconscious pregnant woman
By Zuleihat Owuiye, Nigeria
IKEJA — A 22-year-old pregnant woman found unconscious on a Lagos street last month has been rescued, delivered of a healthy baby girl, and reunited with the Plateau State Government in what officials described as a success story for Lagos’ emergency healthcare intervention.
The woman, identified as Tingni Kindness, was discovered in the Allen area of Lagos on June 6. She was rushed to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, after an emergency alert was sent by the Lagos State Ambulance Service, LASAMBUS, to the Lagos State Health Management Agency’s Assistance in Distress unit, LASHMA-AID.
According to the Permanent Secretary of LASHMA, Dr. Emmanuella Zamba, the distress call came in around 9 p.m. on June 6.
“Immediately the alert came in, LASHMA-AID swung into action and contacted LASUTH for bed space. Upon confirmation, she was transferred to the hospital where treatment commenced without delay,” Zamba said.
Doctors at LASUTH stabilized Kindness, who was unconscious but not yet in labour. She remained under medical care for two weeks. On June 21, while arrangements were being made to transfer her to a shelter, she went into labour and delivered a baby girl.
The Chief Medical Director of LASUTH, Prof. Adetokunbo Fabamwo, said the hospital’s managed care began immediately upon her arrival.
“As we were making arrangements to transfer her to an appropriate shelter because she had no accommodation, she went into labour and successfully delivered her baby girl,” he said.
At a ceremony held at LASUTH, Lagos State formally handed over Kindness and her newborn to officials of the Plateau State Government for rehabilitation and continued care.
Representing the Plateau State Commissioner for Women Affairs, the Principal Administrative Officer of the Plateau Liaison Office in Lagos, Mrs. Philomena Yakubu, commended Lagos, LASHMA and LASUTH for their intervention.
“If not for the swift intervention of LASHMA, only God knows what could have happened,” she said. She assured that the Plateau State Government would provide adequate care, protection and support for both mother and baby.
An emotional Kindness thanked Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, LASHMA, LASUTH and the hospital’s Social Welfare Department for saving her life and that of her child. She said she initially thought she was being wheeled into the mortuary when she arrived at the hospital.
Zamba said the rescue underscores the effectiveness of the Executive Order signed by Governor Sanwo-Olu, which guarantees emergency stabilisation for residents facing life-threatening situations, regardless of financial status or state of origin.
“We are here today to commend LASUTH and draw the attention of everyone home and abroad to what the Lagos State Government is doing towards providing emergency services to ILERA EKO enrollees and vulnerable residents,” she said.
She added that LASHMA-AID will continue to provide life-saving emergency care for indigenes, non-indigenes and other vulnerable persons in the state.
The Permanent Secretary also appealed to the Plateau State Government to provide accommodation and economic support for the young mother.
“She has no source of livelihood. We urge the Plateau State Government to empower her so she can adequately cater for her baby,” Zamba said.
LASHMA disclosed that since LASHMA-AID became fully operational in March 2026, the emergency intervention scheme has saved 34 lives. The breakdown includes eight ILERA EKO enrollees and 26 vulnerable residents who received rapid emergency stabilisation and access to life-saving medical care.
Health officials say the program is designed to bridge gaps for people who collapse in public, victims of accidents, and vulnerable pregnant women who cannot afford immediate care.
For Kindness, the intervention meant the difference between life and death. For Lagos, it was another test of a system built to respond when minutes matter.
