By Kelechi Ugo.
The Management of Imo State Specialist Hospital, Umuguma has drawn her attention on the recent social media report alleging that the health institution is extorting money from patients describing the publication as a reflection of the writer’s character.
It would be recalled that the publication alleged that a patient paid ten thousand naira as consultancy bill and three thausand five hundred naira for card, but was only issued receipt for the card(#3,500).
And the hospital always bill patients outrageously unlike government hospital.
Meanwhile, the Chief Medical Director of the State Government owned specialist hospital,Dr. Kaunda Ibebuike queried why the acclaimed victim paid money without collecting total receipts.
“It probably also means that he was under billed and he colliuded with the persons who under billed him to defraud the hospital of revenue.
He should have immediately reported to the hospital management to get the culprit. That’s how to show that he sincerely desires to put a stop to such practices”.
“There’s nothing Imo State Government or the hospital management can do if we don’t have the evidence to enable us catch the staff involved in such sharp practices. But the writer or author of the publication is also not an honest person. I treat people in private hospital and to see me in a private hospital in Owerri will cost #45,000 and #33,000 respectively in the two hospitals I worked before becoming the CMD of Imo State Specialist Hospital, Umuguma.
And to see me now at the State Government owned hospital costs only #3,500.
So, that aspect of the story is not true”, the CMD explained.
In a swift reaction, the Specialist Hospital Chief Administrator,Mrs Augusta Ohaegbulem flayed the media report stating that they have internal mechanism of preventing frauds in the hospital.
Mrs. Ohaegbulem told journalists that the management team of the hospital always go round every unit to ascertain their level of performances as well as ensuring that every patient is well attended to. “While internal auditors record day to day transactions of the hospital.
Above all, we have deployed our accounting officers to every unit so as to decogest queue in the Accounts Department. The Management team of this hospital is very sincere. So,I don’t believe there is fraud here. And if a patient was attended to without payment receipt or defrauded,let the person forward evidence so as to enable us bring the culprit to book”,she insisted.
