THISDAY

UCTH Delivers Woman of Quintuplet­s

Governor’s wife donates N1million, incubator to support them

- In Calabar

Bassey inyang

The family of Dr. Ekpo Edet whose wife delivered a set of quintuplet­s at the University of Teaching Hospital (UCTH) on Monday has been given N1million by the wife of the Cross River State Governor, Mrs. Linda Ayade, to support the up-keep of the babies.

Mrs. Ayade also announced the donation of N500,000 to medical doctors and other staff of the hospital who were on duty to deliver the mother of the babies.

Aside from the monetary pledges, the wife of the governor also donated an incubator to the hospital to help in the upkeep of the babies.

Making the donation a few hours after the quintuplet­s were delivered in the morning hours of the day, Mrs. Ayade said her husband, Professor Ben Ayade, has extended his sincere congratula­tions to the family of the babies.

She said the birth of the five babies at once was a miracle that only God can perform.

Mrs. Ayade informed the family that her husband resolved that his administra­tion will not abandon the babies. Stating that the birth of the quintuplet­s was historic for the state, Mrs. Ayade said she has never witnessed quintuplet­s delivered before, except what she has heard or read in books.

“God has showed us a sign that this is our year of abundance. On the first day of the year, it was twins, today its quintuplet­s, am over joyed!!!!,” she said.

The state Commission­er for Health Dr. Inyang Asibong, who was at the hospital to see the family congratula­ted the parents of the new babies and assured them that the government, will support them.

“I want to on behalf of the government and the people of the state congratula­te the parents of the babies as well as the entire team led by Professor (Christophe­r Ubung) Iklaki that delivered these babies. I know it must have been a difficult job and thank God the babies all came out safe and the mum is also safe. If the situation were different, I would have advocated exclusive breastfeed­ing, but in this case, I know it will be impossible to insist on that. But the government will definitely support the family in the upbringing of the children,” Asibong said.

Father of the children who is also a doctor at UCTH, told journalist­s that he and his wife had waited for ten years to have a child, saying the period was the most grueling in their family.

Edet said the arrival of the quintuplet­s after a decade is a victory for God and his family, but said the family needed support.

“God is never late. I have waited on for 10years for this children. We realised that God was going to bless us with something special when my wife had a scan after some months of the pregnancy.

“At that point, we knew she was carrying more than one baby in her womb. So, I am very happy at the successful delivery of this children and I give thanks to God that the babies and the mother are very well and safe. I call on the government and the good people of Cross River state to come and assist us to see how we can bring these children up. The country is presently going through recession everyone will agree so we will need everyone’s support to complete this joy that God has given us,” Edet said.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Nigeria