Mad Love-Hospital Bills

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Artist: Jovi
Album: 16 Wives
Released: 2017

First and foremost, the title, MadLove hospital bills. This explains how Jovi lost the love of his life because of the hospital bills patients especially in Cameroon are often asked to submit before treatment can commence and carelessness from medical practitioners.

Peggy Bella is her name. According to Jovi, Peggy Bella was the true love of his life. The one woman he could do anything for. Hence the lines;

“ You’re the only one I ever loved // You’re all I think about // Na you go finally run me oh // My ndolo no di slack
Ndolo no fit ever jam // Telenovela dey wa back.”

After expressing his love for Peggy Bella and how he misses her, he goes ahead to tell us about his experience with Peggy Bella on her hospital bed.

”That Bill wey doctor talk’ am, sometime that man go call’am // Na small money wey I hold’am I get for find way flop’am”

Here, Jovi complains about high hospital bills which before you are able to raise, you must have lost your patient. Things shouldn’t be this way. Asking for deposits before a dying patient is given first aid is a normal phenomenon in many hospitals. Deposit before commencing treatment. However, he still had to find ways to raise the money. It was 200.000CFA.



Running helter-skelter struggling to raise the amount, on getting to the hospital, he was asked to buy all sorts of medicine. The hospital with deplorable conditions wasn’t conducive for Peggy Bella. Hence the lines;

”As I reach hospital // Only heat for inside room I beg say make them on fan // Make e face hear only sweat for e skin // Bed wet call we nurse make e change the bedsheets // Give medicine for chop // Give medicine for sleep // Buy medicine for digestion // Buy medicine for sleep”

He goes ahead to explain that when you find yourself in such a condition, everything the medical staff says, you are bound to do otherwise and whatever means you have to raise the money for treatment, you are forced to take no matter the conditions. This explains the lines;

Two kind medicine dey // Some one comot na India // Some other one just dey for mop lek dey grind na cassava // anyhow sef no be man get for survive // Fo’ di ground fo’ die cheap pass for remain alive … Pong thing them borrow dough promise for back’am back // I even leave my phone for side wey men them di sell shark.”

Unfortunately, after toiling hard to get these bills, Peggy Bella according to Jovi would have survived if not of the ”HospitalBills” from the doctors and belief of Jehovah's Witness followers who are said don’t carry out blood transfusions so they blatantly refused as it was their daughter.

Jovi & Peggy who weren’t ready to be parents had to carry out an abortion. Unfortunately, they had no idea that Peggy was carrying twins. One of the foetus was aborted. That which wasn’t is what brought about all the complications because it started to decay inside her. Jehovah's witness who denied her to carry out blood transfusion which was so much needed didn’t even propose a lasting solution alongside reluctance from doctors to commence some sort of surgery before he brings the ”Bills” is what led to her death.

Hence the lines; “They deny make e do blood transfusion // The men them want comot Dey no give we no solution // Doctor say we (Jovi & Peggy) want abort we no know say na twins // Move one, one remain rotten, they (Doctors would have saved her life if not asking deposits before treatments) for done move’am since.”

It is said that Jovi spent a year or two behind bars in New Bell Prison Douala after this incident. This is a sad story. One of the best songs on the album as well.