Costly maternity bill for couple

In this photograph taken on April 26, 2016, newly born babies lie in a maternity ward at a government hospital in Gwalior. Police fear staff at the private Palash Hospital were selling babies for as little as 100,000 rupees. - AFP.

KOTA KINABALU: A farmer, whose wife had just given birth, ended up with a costly maternity bill when he was charged the foreigners’ rate because the hospital refused to recognise their marriage certificate issued by the Native Court.

He had to sell part of his land in the northern Pitas district to settle the payment, said Datuk Donald Mojuntin, who is secretary-general of Sabah Barisan Nasional’s component party Upko.