Once again, the allocation of taxpayer funds for IVF and maternity care is in the news. This story concerns a Nigerian woman who was prescribed Clomid, a fertility drug that stimulates the production of eggs, in her native country. She then came to the UK knowing she was pregnant and subsequently gave birth here to quintuplets. Her care, and that of her five newborn babies, has cost the taxpayer 200,000 pounds already. Bimbo Ayelabola, 33, would like to stay in the UK, rather than return to Nigeria, claiming the babies, born on April 28th, are too fragile to travel.
Ayebola's presence in the UK at the time of her children's birth meant that she was provided with free maternity and post-natal care. Her delivery by caesarian section at Homerton hospital in Hackney, London, required the involvement of Consultants, midwives, operating staff, social workers and health visitors. The premature babies were then cared for in a special-care unit. She is unable to pay back the NHS for the treatment they received, as she is already struggling to pay for the most basic items of food and nappies. As she is not entitled to claim benefits or work in the UK, her ongoing presence here would continue to drain public funds. Eventually, her housing needs will need to be addressed as well, as she is currently living in a 2-bedroom flat with her sister and the quintuplets, while her husband remains in Nigeria.
Balancing an individual's needs against the public interest - Upon hearing of Ayelabola's previous miscarriages and anxiety regarding this pregnancy, it may be understandable that she did what she could to protect herself and the babies. She has a better support network of friends and family here. Moving to the UK specifically to make use of the NHS is an attractive proposition. However, NHS funds are stretched to the limits already, causing many who are legitimately under its care worrying that they will be denied treatment. While it bills foreign nationals who do not have a right to free medical care in the UK, the NHS has little hope of receiving that money from people who purposely travel here with undisclosed medical issues to take advantage of the system. According to The Sunday Times, the government has instituted rules recently that deny overseas visitors entry if they owe more than 1,000 GBP from a previous visit, but that still leaves alot of room for someone to come in to the country just once, like Ayelabola, and drain its resources.
Who is responsible? It would have been impossible for immigration officials to know that Ayelabola was 3 months pregnant in December, let alone with 5 babies, when they issued her a 6-month visitor visa. They can only go on information provided, and she kept that vital bit of information to herself. When a woman presents herself at a hospital, about to give birth, maternity care is provided first and questions asked later, to ensure the safety of mother and children. Both systems were abused. In this case, while Ayelabola has relatives and friends in the UK, they don't seem to be stepping up to take care of their own. Approximately £7 million in bad debts and claims were abandoned in respect of overseas patients in 2009 - 2010, according to the Secretary of State for Health.
The impact on public opinion - Some will use this as an excuse to criticize the delivery of funded fertility treatment and maternity care. We frequently hear an outcry about who should and shouldn't be entitled to care, including one this week regarding a single mother who received IVF on the NHS. There are those who believe that having children is a right to which they are entitled and others who believe it is a blessing that is, unfortunately, not universal. While Ayelabola did not have NHS-funded IVF, the fact that her quintuplets were born as a result of fertility treatment, will link her case in people's minds with the financial burden on the taxpayer due to fertility treatment. I don't see it that way. Unfortunately, all systems are subject to abuse. I would rather have funded treatment available to all who are entitled to it and deal with the minority of questionable cases as they come up.
What now? - I haven't seen any official comment on how or when the quints would be fit for travel, but I don't see why the Home Office couldn't require a return to Nigeria based upon medical clearance, rather than an extension of 6 months to Ayelabola's visitor visa or allowing her permanent residency. The problem is that allowing Ayebola to stay here indefinitely; 1) increases the cost to the taxpayer, 2) lowers public tolerance for NHS-funded fertility treatment, including premature and multiple births and 3) opens the door for others to try the same tactic. Unfortunately, without knowing of any extenuating circumstances that would threaten the health or safety of Ayebola and her children, I have to come down on the side of public interest this time.
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