The University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Edo State, said it had granted waivers worth N50 million to its indigent patients.
The Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Prof. Darlington Obaseki, disclosed this in Benin, the Edo State capital, during an event to mark his first year in office.
Obaseki said that the bills were incurred by patients admitted and treated at the Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Internal Medicine departments, amongst others.
He explained that those with neurosurgical and orthopaedic cases incurred the highest debts due to their long stay in the hospital.
“For this year (2018) alone, we have already cleared about N50 million. Many of them (patients) come unprepared because they are mostly accident cases,” he said.
The CMD said that though corporate bodies were encouraged to assist patients with difficulties, the health institution had set up an indigent patient committee to raise funds through voluntary donations by the staff.
He, however, noted that the health insurance scheme proposed by the state government would promote affordable health care for the residents.
