There’s reprieve on the way for Hospital detainees as Rt. Hon. Kennedy Ibeh’s powerful Motion scales through.
Nkenkenyi Obowo’s motion which is to urge His Excellency the Governor to direct the Imo State Ministry of health to urgently develop and deliver policies/programs that will curb Medical Detention in Imo State was massively supported by Members of the House.
In expertiating on his motion the first third term Member of Imo State Assembly and ‘Elder of the House’ decried the incessant cases of detaining living patients after treatment or the body of deceased patients in hospitals only because the families are not able to pay their bills. He further noted that these patients are also subjected to further billing for each day the bills remain unpaid and the Patients remain detained in the hospital.
In the words of the Rt. Hon Ibeh, “We must craft a balance between the between ensuring Patients receiving necessary care, and respecting their human dignity while also addressing the financial and Administrative challenges of Hospitals.”
Ibeh recounted the ordeal of a woman in a hospital who was delivered of a child through a complicated surgery and at discharge couldn’t couldn’t pay N480, 000 and so had been detained for 2 years until that his visit to the Hospital saw to the release of the already walking and running child after clearing the bills.
Only early last Month at the Childrens ward of FMC Rt. Hon. Kennedy Ibeh paid the sum of N250, ooo to release a 3 years old baby girl detained for her parents inability to pay her hospital bill after treatment.
While on the motion, Rt. Hon. Ibeh canvassed that the Imo State health insurance Law No. 4 of 2018 which has recorded huge success can be rejiged to accommodate possible Hospital detainees or that a Special Trust be established in the State to take care of Hospitals detention.
Ibeh noted that in a lot of climes, Hospital detention has been bridged by the enthronment of some strategic policies. He said the Philippines Medical Detention prohibition Act precribes the commitment of the Patients to Promisory notes backed by Guarantors, then when such Patient reneges he or she can be arrested on the strength of the crime and now possibly detained.
Ibeh holds that only institutions established by Law with powers to arrest and detain can detain anyone legally anything in the contrary is an illegality which later category Hospital detention falls into.
Numerous Members including the seconder Hon. Nwaneri, Majority Hon. Kanayo Onyemaechi, the House Committee on Health Hon. Otuibe and Hon. Ezerioha of Oru West supported this Motion while other raised hands could not be accommodated for want of time.
All things being equal, a clean copy of the resolution is on the way to His Excellency Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma for his necessary action.
RT Honourabel Kennedy Ibeh former Speaker Imo State House of Assembly
