UBTH Detention: Okpebholo Never Paid My Wife, Newborn Discharge Bills, Funds Diverted To Others – Umoru Laments
By Simeon OSAJIE
Mr. Umoru Imokha Abdulahi, whose wife and newborn daughter were detained at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), hasdenied receiving any financial assistance from Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo to aid the discharge of his family.
He dismissed the reports that the governor had settled the outstanding charges and facilitated their discharge through the governor’s Special Adviser on Health Matters, Precious Ogboru, and Executive Assistant, James Iorkusah, who claimed to have visited the family at UBTH.
Umoru an indigene of Agenebode in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State said he paid for his wife and new born discharge at the UBTH, the sum of over N240,000 before his family was released after being detained for 21days since 20th March.
Umoru was reacting to a calm that the state governor, represented by his Special Adviser on Health Matters, Precious Ogboru, and Executive Assistant, James Iorkusah, visited them, both mother and her newborn at UBTH and emphasized that Governor Okpebholo came to their aid.
He noted that his family was held at the hospital for 21 days, and the report that the governor’s team reportedly paid them a visit is strange.
He said he was discharged by the UBTH management on compassionate ground after his initial payment of N200,000.
He said “At no time during my ordeal at the hospital did I meet or received any form of assistance from the state government through the governor’s Special Adviser on Health Matters, Precious Ogboru, and Executive Assistant, James Iorkusah, who claimed to have visited our family UBTH over inability to offset the Caesarian Section bill.”
He noted that his wife, “does not bear the name ”Mercy Bassey” and their cry to the governor in the media last Tuesday to help offset their medical bills of N330,000 never got government attention to the best of his knowledge until UBTH discharged them following public outcry”.
He appreciated UBTH management for coming to his rescue despite his poor condition and thanked Nigerians who supported him in various ways to discharge his family.
Recall, Mr. Umoru Imokha Abdulahi, last Tuesday, appealed to kind-hearted Nigerians and Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, to help in discharging his wife and newborn delivered through a Cesarean Section (CS).
His wife and newborn were admitted on March 20th later discharged on 10th April just as he expressed gratitude to the media and compassionate Nigerians for their prompt intervention, which led to the UBTH management releasing his wife and baby without any additional financial burden after the initial N200,000 deposit.
The man thanked newsmen in the state for making his ordeal public. After 21 days in the hospital ward, the young father appealed for help when his medical bills reached over N530,000 and was unable to take his wife, Mrs. Happiness, and their baby girl home.
