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DELTA TAKES OVER EKU BAPTIST HOSPITAL
• STAFF NOW TO ENJOY PENSION BENEFITS • UDUAGHAN WRITES OFF MEDICAL BILLS OF NURSING MOTHERS, PREGNANT WOMEN The Delta State Government has taken over the management of the Baptist Hospital Eku and immediately pensioned all staff that were previously laid off after serving for 20 years. Speaking at the takeover ceremony the state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan announced that the Hospital Management Board will absorb all staff of the hospital and also as part of the bargain, the school of nursing in the hospital automatically becomes a state school of nursing. Announcing free maternal health care to people of the community and environ, Governor Uduaghan said that all student nurses in the hospital’s school of nursing would henceforth enjoy all the benefits students of the state schools of nursing enjoy. The governor who promised to transform the hospital and make it a show piece appealed to both old and new staff of the hospital to promote and sustain the working culture developed over the years. Dr. Uduaghan also directed that all staff presently in the hospital should not be transferred but should remain in the hospital. “This hospital has a unique working culture and this is why all the equipments are still functioning. Keep the staff together, do not post any of them out of the hospital,” he advised. Describing the journey of the take over which started in 1999 as long and tortuous, he said many people opposed the move and made what was supposed to be a simple exercise, difficult. The governor commended the Eku community for its contributions towards the takeover exercise especially for not asking for compensation. Expressing appreciation to the Baptist missionaries who established the hospital in 1950, he said since the hospital was built on the altar of God, it would continue to loom large and enjoy God’s providence. He also paid tribute to the late Chief Edewor and said the takeover of the hospital was one of the cherished wish of the late chief. He used the occasion to appeal to the clergy to be firm and fair and not to pollute their God given position with politics. Dr. Uduaghan said men of God should not waver and dent their image with bias. “l want to say that men of God should not play politics. It is not good for the clergy to out of fear do injustice to humanity. They should stand firm, be bold and please God not man,” he said. Eku Baptist hospital was established as a dispensary in 1945 and transformed into a full hospital in 1950. A spokes person for Eku community Mrs. Betty Edewor commended the state government for taking the giant stride and lifting a heavy burden off the shoulder of the community. Mrs. Edewor said the community had long expected the exercise and thanked God that it has happened in their life time. She appealed to the state governor to look into the case of the staff who served for over 20 years and suddenly laid off without any pension or gratuity paid to them. Meanwhile, Governor Uduaghan has written off the medical bills of two nursing mothers and three pregnant women who could not pay their medical bills at the Eku Baptist Hospital. The bills running to about #500.000 could not be paid by the patients and were therefore not allowed to leave the hospital premises many days after they have been discharged. It all started when the governor was inspecting the Maternity Ward of the hospital and asked the women one after the other what their conditions were and when they would be discharged. Two of the nursing mothers in answer to his questions said they had been discharged but could not go home because they had no money to settle the hospital bills. The story of one of them was so pathetic not only because she could not pay the bills but because she lost the child and was in mourning. The governor then directed the hospital authority to allow the patient go and promised to pay the bills. The following interaction ensued between the governor and the patient: Gov: Madam you don born? Patient (Mrs. Emoefe Ufoma): Yes my governor Gov: Where your pickin? Patient: E don die Gov: Sorry, Madam. The hospital don discharge you? Patient: Yes Gov: Wetin come happen, when you neva go house? Patient : Oga na operation l take born and dem charge me N70, 000, l no get money, my husband don commot since go look for moni. Gov: Doctor please write off the bill of this woman, the state government will settle it. The governor promised that the state government would pay the medical bill of Mrs. Uwererima Eferire who also delivered through cesarean section amounting to N79.000. The medical bills of other three pregnant women were also written off by the state government and one of the pregnant women Mrs. Patience Ojo who was waiting to be operated on praised the governor and cried out of joy. The governor was conducted round the maternity ward and theatre room by a senior doctor in the hospital, Dr. Victor Erhurhu.   
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