I know so many of my friends that went to have their babies abroad. Most of the time it is either UK or US. During my antenatal days, I made friends with a few pregnant women who do their first to second trimester antenatal in Nigeria and at the last semester, they come for medical reports and fit to fly passage for them to present at the airport. For those that have a medical history, maybe they’ve had a baby in Nigeria before and it was through a Caesarian Section, they always request for copies of their formal records to present to their doctors abroad.
It is not a new thing to go and give birth abroad, it has been happening for so many years now and I think it’s one of the best things a parent can ever do for a child is to give a child dual citizenship. Giving birth abroad requires a lot of funds and knowing someone over there. Apart from the processes of you securing a visa which can be very hectic, you need to be sure everything you will be needing has been taken care of over there. Most people have family members and relatives that they stay it for the remaining period of the pregnancy. Nigerians at home complain a lot that Nigerians abroad are not accommodating.
It is always a pester on them when a member of their family requires to stay with them for a short while. I don’t have them to blame because they pay most of their bill through their nose. It requires them working more than two jobs which it’s something we Nigerian at home is not used to. Nigerian abroad that are used to a working system and believes Nigerian at home are used to the “anything goes attitude” and they behave nonchalantly. At the end of the day, it ends up straining the relationship they both share because of accommodation issue but that has not stop Nigerians from the idea of having a baby abroad.
But there is now a new law that states that foreign patients coming to give birth in the UK have to show ID at the London hospital. London hospitals have run-up more than £10 million of debts after overseas patients not entitled to free care on the NHS failed to pay for their treatment. According to standard.co.uk “The figure – which the Department of Health admits is an underestimate due to difficulties charging foreign patients – emerged today as one of the capital’s biggest hospitals announced plans to force 5,000 pregnant women a year to show photo ID and a utility bill to prove their entitlement to free treatment”.
The site also stated that “In Georgia hospital,many patients are waiting too long for treatment. Many overseas patients at St George’s disappeared without paying after giving birth, or said they could not afford to pay. Others became abusive and violent. On one occasion this summer, staff activated a panic alarm as a patient tried to smash windows. Managers have asked for extra security guards.
So if you are considering to going to give birth in the UK, then you will have to consider that before embarking on such trip.
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