Dubai Crown Prince pays medical bill of Nigerian couple stranded in hospital after birth of quadruplets

Relief as Nigerian couple Suliyat Abdulkareem and Tijani Abdulkareem leave hospital in Dubai

Relief has come the way of a Nigerian mother, Suliyat Tijani and her quadruplets stranded in a hospital after the Dubai Crown Prince, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum paid their hospital bills.

Tijani Abdulkareem, 32, said his wife, Suliyah, 29, gave birth to the babies — two boys and two girls on July 1.

The couple, who live in Dubai, began making plans to relocate his wife to Nigeria to give birth when they found she was having quadruplets in January.

They share a hostel accommodation with others, and it would have been

difficult to rent a bigger place with their combined income, according to Abdulkareem, who works as a cook at a restaurant in the city.

Nigerian couple Suliyat Abdulkareem and Tijani Abdulkareem in Dubai hospital

But the government banned all commercial international flights when the pandemic struck in Nigeria in March, shortly after it recorded its first case.

Only diplomatic and essential flights are currently permitted into Nigeria’s airspace and Abdulkareem says the travel restrictions, had frustrated their plans.

According to CNN, since Suliyat and her family had no medical insurance, having racked up about $108,000 (400,000 AED) in medical expenses since the birth (prematurely) of the two boys and two girls, they went on soliciting for help.

Although the Nigerian community in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) rallied around and paid part of the bills ($11,500), the Dubai Crown Prince stepped in to foot the medical expenses after their story went viral.

Local radio stations in Dubai and the CNN said the Latifa Hospital for Women and Children where the babies were born through an emergency C-section confirmed the Crown Prince’s gesture.

The quadruplets were placed on ventilators at the neonatal intensive care unit, are doing well and will soon be ready to go home, the hospital explained.

Her husband, Shakiru, obviously elated by the Prince’s magnanimity, described it as a huge favour, admitting that payment of the medical bills gave him sleepless nights.

As a sign of gratitude to the Dubai royal family, the chef told local media Khaleej Times that three of the babies will be named Hamdan, Mohammed and Lathifa.