A Nigerian mother and her quadruplets are currently stranded
in Dubai as a result of the ban on international flights.
On March 23, the federal government banned international
flights to check the spread of COVID-19.
In an interview with CNN, Tijani Abdulkareem, 32-year-old
husband of Suliyah, the new mother, said he made plans for his wife to relocate
to Nigeria to give birth but the flight ban did not make it happen.
Abdulkareem, who shares a hostel accommodation in Dubai over
his inability to rent a large apartment, said in January, he and his wife were
informed that they would be having quadruplets.
He said since they were given a delivery date in August,
they planned that the wife would depart to Nigeria in May but the flight ban
had been in place by then.
“We thought the travel situation would improve … but the
lockdown made it difficult to get flights,” he said.
Suliyah gave birth to the new babies, two boys and two girls
on July 1. She had the babies via an emergency C-section at the Latifah Women
and Children hospital in Dubai.
The premature delivery had also necessitated increased
medical care for the babies.
According to Abdulkareem, who works as a cook at a
restaurant in the city, Suliyah had stopped working as a hospital cleaner and
this led to a reduction in the couple’s revenue source.
Although repatriation flights to Nigeria from Dubai are
taking place, they are only few of them which are far between.
According to the report, the couple had incurred thousand of
dollars in medical debt, as they owe about $120,000 and are incurring daily
charges of $5,000 to keep the babies in separate incubators.
Doctors say the quadruplets may remain for another six weeks
at the hospital before they can go home.
Abdulkareem said his family has been relying on the goodwill
of the hospital and the generosity of the Nigerian community in Dubai
“The hospital has really helped us. They discharged my wife
and are doing all they can to ensure that the babies are doing well. The
Nigerian community has also been like a family to us,” he said.
According to the report, some UAE residents assisted the family
to raise about $8,000 to offset part of the medical bill.
CNN quoted Abike Dabiri-Erewa, head of the Nigerians in the
Diaspora Commission, as saying the Nigerian embassy in Dubai has reached out to
the family.
“The mission is on top of the matter and is in constant
touch with the family,” she said.
AbdulKareem is now expecting a miracle to happen for his
family to return to Nigeria.
“I never expected to have quadruplets. It is still a
miracle. And I believe that can happen again to get my family to Nigeria,” he
was quoted to have said.
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