Obi, however, presented a cheque of about N1 million to the Medical Director of the Centre on Wednesday to clear the woman’s bill.
By Jeffrey Agbo
Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has paid the medical bill of Blessing Usulor, a resident of Enugu, abandoned in a hospital since June 2022.
Mrs Usulor was taken to the Hopecare Medical Centre, Enugu by her neighbours after she slumped in her quarters within the IMT Campus-4 axis of Enugu. She has been in the hospital since then.
Obi, however, presented a cheque of about N1 million to the Medical Director of the Centre on Wednesday to clear the woman’s bill. The candidate was represented by Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu.
Obi praised the hospital’s management for putting life first before monetary consideration.
He said that the exemplary conduct of the hospital by seeing to the survival and total recovery of the patient showed “the New Nigeria we all are yearning for”.
According to him, the recovery of Usulor and the exemplary conduct of Hopecare Medical Centre is a shining example that with love and care, Nigerians have the capacity to rebuild this great country once more.
“I was indeed shocked when I learnt about the Usulor story through Ambassador Ojukwu.
“We have to bear each other’s burden, be our brother’s keeper and create a Nigeria that works for everybody and we can be proud to call our own and home,” he said.
Responding, the Medical Director of the Centre, Dr Samuel Ngwu, said that she was admitted few days in June 2022 and was brought to the hospital in coma by neighbours living within her quarters.
Ngwu noted that she stayed in coma for 10 days and she had complications.
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According to him, these complications include renal failure, which involved the hospital carrying out dialysis, diabetes complications and eventually she also developed ulcer due to a long stay in bed.
“As God may have it, she recovered. In the beginning, there was no monetary deposit and my staff brought that to my attention.
“And my answer was that a 22-year-old person will never die in my care because of money.
“So, we continued to treat her; and after the treatment, paying the medical bill became a challenge after she was discharged on July 1, 2022.
“Since then, she could not meet up with her bill and she had been here while the husband that also came with her two-year-old son later abandoned both her and her son to date.
“While in the hospital all this time, she lives on handouts from other patients or relatives of other patients she meets in the ward. Earlier, today, a relative of a patient gave her N3,000,” he said.
The medical director thanked Obi for the gesture, adding that “we are looking forward for a New Nigeria, where we will be led by leaders with vision like Mr Peter Obi.”
In a tearful mood, Usulor, who hails from Ebonyi, appreciated Obi for identifying with “a poor and nobody” in the society.
“I am overwhelmed with joy that I don’t know how to thank His Excellence for this kind gesture and remembering someone that has been abandoned.
“I appreciate Dr Samuel Ngwu and the entire management of Hopecare Medical Centre that God has used to keep me alive till today. May God continue to bless and reward you all,” she added.
