A TRAGIC Nigerian mum who gave birth to quadruplets in the UK but later lost two of them will cost the NHS £500,000 as she has no way of paying.
Priscilla, 43, went into labour as she flew home via Heathrow after being turned away by the US.
Medics at St Mary’s Hospital in West London battled to save the babies, who were born at 24 weeks.
One died instantly and the other three treated for at least ten weeks in a neonatal ICU at £2,000 each per day.
A second baby, named Deborah, died on Saturday.
Priscilla’s case is featured tonight on BBC2’s Hospital.
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In the documentary, she is warned of the high treatment costs by overseas visitor manager Terry Facey.
She tells him: “I didn’t plan to come here.
“It’s only money. Money can’t buy life.
“The last bill I had was £331,000 but – even if I worked every day – I would never earn that much money.
“My kids are priceless.”
She had flown to Chicago where she has family to give birth after her gynaecologist warned against having quads in Nigeria.
But she was turned away for having the wrong paperwork.
The mum, who is being cared for by a charity, said she woke up in hospital here.
Asked if her husband will be able to settle the bill, she replied: “Will you give him a visa and money to come?”
Although she insists she did not intend to give birth in the UK, Priscilla’s costs — now more than £400,000 and rising — are one of the most expensive examples of so-called health tourism.
Tory MP Peter Bone said: “Someone coming to this country should be obliged to get travel insurance, so their health care is covered.
“Why should taxpayers be funding foreign nationals to have NHS treatment at vast expense?”
British docs must provide emergency medical care regardless of a patient’s nationality or ability to pay.
In December, The Sun revealed the number of health tourists having babies on the NHS doubled in two years to more than 2,100.
The Department of Health is expected to claw back £300million from overseas patients by next year.
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