A pregnant woman reportedly lost her unborn baby after the gas supply for the generator used during a caesarean section operation allegedly finished at Lapai General Hospital in Lapai, Niger State.
The incident reportedly occurred on April 17, 2026, during a surgery at the hospital’s maternity ward, where relatives of the patient allegedly rushed home to provide a gas cylinder so doctors could continue the surgery.
According to sources and an eyewitness who spoke to SaharaReporters, the hospital’s gas supply finished while the operation was ongoing, forcing the patient’s family to look for an alternative.
Describing the incident, the eyewitness said the surgery had already commenced before the hospital ran out of gas, putting the hospital in darkness.
“It all happened at Lapai General Hospital at the Maternity Ward. It was during the C/S operation that their gas finished. We had to rush home to bring our own gas cylinder because the operation was already in progress,” the eyewitness said.
The source explained that the patient involved in the operation was his stepmother, adding that he and his brother had to leave the hospital in search of a gas cylinder.
“Yes, I happened to be there so I’m an eyewitness, and it involved my stepmum. My brother and I had to rush home to bring a gas cylinder when theirs got exhausted,” the source said.
He added that the incident left his father devastated after the family eventually lost the unborn baby.
“My dad felt devastated, and that’s how we lost the child,” the source said.
Another source alleged that the pregnant woman had been admitted for a caesarean section before the hospital’s gas generator suddenly stopped functioning during the procedure.
“On April 17, 2026, a pregnant woman was admitted to Lapai General Hospital for a (CS). While the operation was ongoing, the hospital’s gas generator suddenly went off,” the source said.
The source further alleged that the patient’s husband had to provide a gas cylinder from home before the operation could continue.
“Shockingly, the situation became so critical that the woman’s husband had to rush home to bring his own gas cylinder just so the surgery could continue. Tragically, the unborn baby was lost before the operation could be completed,” the source said.
Residents also alleged that the maternity ward has operated for years without adequate facilities and proper lighting.
One resident claimed that health workers often attend to pregnant women in labour with torchlights because of poor conditions at the hospital.
“The maternity ward in Lapai operates in darkness and lacks proper hygiene. Pregnant women in labour are often delivered using torchlights, and this has reportedly been going on for more than three years,” the source said.
The resident further alleged that the hospital had been without oxygen cylinders for years, leading to repeated loss of lives.
“This has been the case for almost three years now, and the entire Lapai General Hospital has been without oxygen cylinders. Many babies and many lives have been lost,” the source said.
