Oshiomhole doles out N6.5m to offset indigent patients’ bills

By Simon Ebegbulem
BENIN—WORRIED by the plight of indigent patients at the Accident and Emergency units of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Governor Adams Oshiomhole, weekend paid the sum of N6.5million to offset their hospital bills.

The governor, who commended the management of the hospital for administering treatment to the patients without demanding for money, asserted during the weekend visit to the patients, that  “we do not appreciate what God is doing in our life until we visit the hospitals and see people who are in pains.”

The governor lamented the plight of the patients who have been treated by the hospital but were not allowed to leave because they were yet to pay their bills.

He reiterated the policy of the state government that people must not be denied medical treatment due to lack of money.

According to him, “we have to give the hospital management the sum of N6.5million to enable patients in such conditions, those who have been treated but cannot go home because they have not paid their bills, to be discharged.

“The hospital will now discharge them because we have paid on their behalf.  I am happy that God directed us to come here today and we have been of some help.

“But the lesson I learnt form this is that from time to time, we should interact with management to see if there are cases of indigent persons who have been treated and could not pay their bills, to see what government can contribute.”