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By Dennis Agbo

Following the alarm raised by the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital Enugu, FNHE, of the rising cases of discharged but abandoned mental health persons in the hospital, a philanthropist, Chief Osondu Ugwuoke has set free no less than 15 persons whose accumulated medical bill would be taken care of by Ugwuoke’s donation of one million Naira to the hospital management on Wednesday.

Making the donation to the hospital management, Ugwuoke said that it was not really for the sake of the Christmas celebration but that he was touched when he read the Vanguard report where the management solicited assistance since the cost burden was telling on the hospital.

Ugwuoke who was represented at the donation by Chief Ejiofor Omeje and Mr. Iyida S.I.D, said that Ugwuoke was the kind of person that has human feelings and likes giving back to society and does not like seeing people suffer.

“So when he saw the Medical Director’s outcry, he was touched and he decided to map out one million naira for the indigent patients that would have left the hospital but did not have money to offset their medical bills and he just donated one million naira to take care of those categories of patients. This is not basically in the spirit of Christmas; it’s just his normal person to take care of people that need help. He believes that one derives more blessing in giving because the hand that giveth stays on top,” Omeje said.

Medical Director of the Hospital, Prof Monday Igwe while commending Ugwuoke’s gesture said the hospital still needs more spirited individuals to come to the aide of the abandoned patients, whom Ugwuoke’s donation cannot cover their own bills so that more of the indigent patients can go home and celebrate the Christmas healthy and with their families.

“Igwe said: “The donation by Ugwuoke is generous but it cannot take so many because some of them have stayed long and their bills have accumulated that each person may have so many chunks out of the money. So it will just take care of few out of the many that are indigent.”

Head of Social Welfare in the hospital, Dr Azuka Oguamanam said that the Ugwuoke’s donation may not be able to take care of more than 15 indigent patients, whereas the hospital has no less than 30 of such indigents feeding on the hospital purse.

Head of clinical services, Dr Vincent Ubochi said that Ugwuoke’s donation has alleviated the burden of the hospital, but noted that the number of indigents in the hospital was always in the increase.

“The stay long after discharge and sometimes, some are abandoned because they cannot pay. Their people visit them but they can’t go home because of the financial incapacity,” Ubochi said.

Vanguard News Nigeria