Enugu: LG Council promises to pay medical bills for indigent patients

The Chairman of Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State, Dr Eric Odo, has promised to pay hospital bills for indigent sick persons in the area.

He said this on Friday, while addressing Frontline Health Workers during their refresher training at the Igbo-Etiti Council Headquarters in Ogbede.

Odo said his administration would not hesitate to offset the medical bills of those he described as “The poorest of the poor’’ that could not settle their medical bills.

He emphasised the importance of having a functional Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in rural communities.

According to him, functional PHCs will help to ensure that rural dwellers access quality healthcare.

He urged the health workers, especially nurses, posted to Igbo-Etiti to be professional in the discharge of their services.

He pointed out that people would not go to seek for medicare at the secondary health facility, if they received adequate treatment at PHC.

Odo commended the state Ministry of Health and the state Primary Healthcare Development Agency for organising the training.

He said that the training was needed to further build the capacity of the health workers, which would enable them to deliver efficient healthcare services to the people.

“The primary healthcare centre is very essential in the management of people at the grassroots.

“There is need to train and retrain the health workers for them to remain updated.

“The health workers should be treated as king.

“The service you deliver at the PHC is passionate to me.

“Please, always protect the vulnerable in society in the course of treating people.

“Do not discriminate against them,’’ Odo said.

Earlier, the Head, Health Department in Igbo-Etiti LGA, Mr Fidelis Ikeoha, said the training, which would last 10 days, was organised to keep the health workers updated on things they needed to know.

Ikeoha said that the training was going on across all the LGAs in the state.

He assured the council chairman that nurses posted to PHCs in the area would be dedicated and professional in treating the people.