Edo Government Settles Medical Bills For Indigent Patients – Mrs. Obaseki
According to Mrs. Betsy Obaseki, the wife of Edo State’s Governor, the state government spends millions of naira every month to settle medical bills of indigent patients. This was disclosed on Sunday during a press conference to launch a free medical outreach program for over 4,000 residents of Edo in Benin.
In partnership with the Association of Nigeria Physicians in the Americas (ANPA), the medical outreach will include surgeries and surgical interventions for the kidney, heart, eyes, teeth, and other ailments.
“The Governor has set aside millions of naira monthly to settle and offset medical bills of the indigent people in the state. The Governor set up the Mercy Committee for those with serious medical needs. This medical mission will address lots of the issues from the Mercy Committee.”
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While commenting on the free medical outreach, the First Lady of Edo State stated that the exercise was a way to give back to Edo citizens for their support to the state government, ensuring the re-election of Governor Godwin Obaseki during the September 19, 2020 governorship poll. She called upon the residents of the state to take advantage of the two weeks free healthcare programme to better their lots.
Mr. Obaseki added that the list of indigent patients requiring medical care has all been captured for the free medical mission, and pointed out that some of the services that the people will enjoy include cardiology, nephrology, ophthalmology and dental surgery, among others. She said, “The motivation for this medical mission is the support received from Edo people during the governorship election, supporting the governor against all odds and ensuring he gets a second term in office. No better way to say thank you than by providing free medical care for the people.”
On her part, Prof. Obehi Akoria, the State Commissioner for Health, said 4,000 people have been screened for the medical mission, noting that 600 persons would require surgical intervention while 300 are ready for surgeries. She noted that 65 highly qualified specialists are already in the State to team up with 200 volunteers, including clinical and non-clinical volunteers. Akoria added, “Thirteen different theaters will host the surgical needs of patients in this medical mission, as specialists from various fields in medicine are on ground to attend to these cases.”
Dr. Christopher Okunseri, the President of the Association of Nigeria Physicians in the Americas (ANPA), commended Mrs. Obaseki for the initiative and expressed the readiness of his association to deliver quality healthcare services to Edo people. He said, “Our collaboration is to build capacity and also skill transfer. For the first time in our over 27 years of existence, we will be embarking on telemedicine which was brought about as COVID-19 ravaged the world.”
