The husband of a patient of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Mr. Umoru Abdulahi, has accused the health facility of diverting money from well-spirited individuals and the Edo State government to offset his wife’s medical bill.
The woman, Mrs. Happiness Abdulahi, who gave birth in the hospital, was allegedly detained for three weeks before she was released to her husband.
Mr. Umoru Abdullahi said on the 20th of March his wife, Mrs. Happiness, went into labor and was rushed to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, where she finally delivered through cesarean section (CS).
After the wife’s delivery, the hospital charged them the sum of three hundred and eighty thousand naira, which the man couldn’t afford due to joblessness. The development led well-spirited individuals and the Edo State Government to come to his rescue.
However, Mr. Abdullahi alleged that on the day the governor was to visit the hospital , the management chased him, the newborn baby, and the mother out of the ward and led them to the office of the CMD, Mr. Darlington Obaseki, and replaced him with one Mercy Akpan, whose bills were offset in his stead.
Mr. Abdulahi further narrated that he did not get the donations from well-spirited individuals and the Edo State government, as they were paid into the hospital’s account directly.
The client also alleged that the sum of four hundred thousand naira was paid and that the Edo State Government also sent delegates to the hospital to offset the bills after public outcry, but none of the donations got to him, as he offset the bill with his personal money.
Reacting to the development, the public relations officer of the hospital, Mr. Joshua Uwaila, confirmed that the Edo State Government actually sent two delegates to the hospital: the special adviser to the governor on health matters, Precious Ogboru, and the executive assistant, James Iorkusah, who visited the mother and her newborn at UBTH to offset the medical bills of the patient.
He explained that Mr. Monday did not follow the procedure initially but was discharged after he had offset his hospital bill but could not provide an explanation on why Mercy Akpan’s bill was offset instead of Umoru Abdullahi’s, whose bill was to be offset by the state government.
It would be recalled that Fred Itua, Chief Press Secretary to Edo State Governor Senator Monday Okpebholo, recently released a press statement confirming that the Edo State Government has paid off the bills of one Mercy Akpan, while Umoru Abdullahi was supposed to be the beneficiary of the gesture.
