Ahead of the second term of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, some indigent patients have got respite, with their hospital bills fully paid.
This came courtesy of a United States of America-based business consultant and philanthropist, Dr Felix Ugwu, who said the action was in line with the preparations for the Governor’s inauguration.
He bankrolled the hospital bills of no fewer than six indigent patients amounting to N.9million at the Enugu State University Teaching Hospital ( ESUTH).
Ugwu also donated food items worth N.9 million to Little sister of the poor home for the Elderly, near Mayor mini park, Awkunanaw, Enugu.
Some of the food items donated for the upkeep of the elderly inmates of the centre include one bag of crayfish, 30kg bags of dry fish, 100kg grains, baskets of tomatoes, cartons of vegetable oil and bags of garri, among others.
At ESUTH, Ugwu paid the bills of patients who had earlier been discharged either on account of the completion of their medication or referral to other hospitals but were left stranded for months in the hospital due to lack of funds to settle their bills.
In an interview with journalists, a nurse in the hospital, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that one of the patients suffering from advanced cervical cancer was referred to the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu.
She said that the patient could not be released for further medication in UNTH due to the huge debt, which resulted in her not being attended to any more by the hospital.
“This patient is in her fifties. She has advanced cancer of the cervix which affected her uterus and intestines and can no longer pass excreta,” she said.
Other patients whose hospital bills were paid included three nursing mothers who were delivered of their babies through cesarean session but were held back by the hospital management for their inability to pay.
Others were a young single mother who had spent over one month after her discharge from the hospital and an Octogenarian whose family couldn’t meet up with her hospital expenses and discharge fee.
Speaking to our correspondent, Ugwu said that the gesture was his own way of celebrating the swearing-in of Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for a second term in office, a man he described as a champion of democracy.
The philanthropist said that the Governor’s leadership skills had revolutionized governance in the state, adding that such sectors as education, health, security, transport and ease of doing business has been greatly enhanced.
“The Governor has done well in uplifting the poor, the needy and residents of the state. What we are doing today is in support and furtherance of the good nature of the governor,” he said.
The Coordinator of The Mandate Renaissance Group for Ugwuanyi and Administrator Udi South Development centre, Hon. Ifeanyi Agu, said that Ugwu had always championed the course of the downtrodden.
Agu noted that such philanthropic missions reflected the nature and humane disposition of Governor Ugwuanyi who he said has been going about doing good.
The highlight of the event was a special prayer offered by the inmates of the home for a successful second tenure for the state governor.
