The 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.
Professor Darlington Obaseki, Chief Medical Director, CMD, of the hospital, disclosed this during a staff Assembly organised by members of staff to mark his first year in office.
The CMD, who said that corporate bodies were encouraged to assist patients with difficulties, noted that the tertiary health institution had set up an indigent patient committee to assist in fund raising, through voluntary donations of staff of the hospital.
Obaseki disclosed that the bills were incurred by patients admitted and treated at the Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Internal Medicine departments, amongst others.
He added that neurosurgical and orthopaedic cases incurred the highest debts due to their long stay in the hospital.
“Within this one year alone, we had waived about N50 million. Many of them came unprepared because they were mostly accident cases,” he said.
