24th April, 2022
By Jethro Ibileke
Wife of Edo Governor, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki, has revealed that the state government spends millions of naira every month to settle medical bills of indigent patients.
She disclosed this on Sunday in Benin, during a press briefing to flag-off a free medical outreach for over 4,000 Edo residents.
The medical outreach which will include surgeries and surgical interventions for kidney, heart, eyes and teeth, and other ailments, is being organized in partnership with the Association of Nigeria Physicians in the Americas (ANPA).
“The Governor 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,” she stated.
Commenting on the free medical outreach, the Edo First Lady said the exercise is 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 on residents of the state to take advantage of the two weeks free healthcare programme to better their lots.
The Governor’s wife who added that the list of indigent patients requiring medical care has all been captured for the free medical mission, noted 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, the State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Obehi Akoria, said 4,000 people have been screened for the medical mission, noting that 600 persons 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.”
President of the Association of Nigeria Physicians in the Americas (ANPA) Dr. Christopher Okunseri, who commended Mrs. Obaseki for the initiative, 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.”