UBTH grants N50m waivers to indigent patients

Management of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, UBTH, Benin City, Edo State, has granted waivers to the tune of N50 million to indigent patients, particularly those with neurosurgical and orthopaedic cases in the last one year.

Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital, Prof. Darlington Obaseki, who disclosed this yesterday in Benin City during a staff assembly organised by members of staff to mark his first year in office, said corporate bodies had been encouraged to assist patients with difficulties.

He noted that the tertiary health institution had set up an indigent patient committee to assist in fund-raising through voluntary donations.

Obaseki, who stated that the bills were incurred by patients admitted and treated at the paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology and internal medicine departments, among others, said neurosurgical and orthopaedic cases incurred the highest debts due to their long stay in the hospital.

“For this year (2018) alone, we have already cleared about N50 million. Many of them (patients) come unprepared because they are mostly accident cases,” he said.

The CMD, therefore, expressed optimism that the health insurance scheme being proposed by the state government would promote affordable health care for the residents and reduce the huge burden poised by the inability of indigent patients to offset their medical bills.