Succour For Widow As 300 Benefit From Hospital Free Medicare

A 46-year-old widow, Favour Mbade, was among those who had free surgery at the PAMO Teaching Hospital in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Mbade, who was treated of hynea is among over 300 persons who benefitted from a two-day free medical mission, embarked upon by the hospital, as part of activities marking the 2025 PAMO University of Medical Sciences Convocation Ceremony.

Speaking with newsmen on her hospital bed, the 46-year-old widow, who is a mother of three, stated that she previously underwent a colon cancer surgery that resulted in the hynea. She mentioned that the hospital where she had her previous surgery said it will cost over a million naira to get the surgery, and thanked the management of PAMO teaching hospital for coming to her aid.

“I did a surgery in 2023, a colon cancer surgery. It was a major surgery which resulted to this. I actually went back to the hospital that I did the surgery before and I asked if there was the way forward. They told me I will pay one point something million to do it. So this one came free what more can I say, thank you so much PAMO hospital,” she stated.

The Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, and Coordinator, Clinical Services at PAMO Teaching Hospital, Dr. Akaninyene Ubom, told journalists that over 380 patients have benefited so far from the exercise which commenced on Wednesday.

He stated that the initiative is a brainchild of the former governor of Rivers State and founder of both the PAMO University of Medical Sciences and PAMO Teaching Hospital, Dr. Peter Odili, to bring succour to sick persons.

Ubom said the essence is to reach out to hundreds and thousands of indigent Nigerians who are finding it difficult to access healthcare delivery services due to the high cost of disease treatments in healthcare delivery facilities. He informed that 12 categories of surgeries, general and pediatric surgeries were carried out, including, breast lump, eye surgery and treatment, appendectomy, amongst others.

He said: “You know, Nigeria and Nigerians have a significant burden of disease from infectious diseases to chronic non-communicable diseases. At the same time too, there is a high level of poverty in the country. So people are sick and at the same time they are poor.

“So they are not able to access health care. So it is in recognizing this problem that His Excellency Sir (Dr.) Peter Odili established this hospital. The radiological investigations, CT scan, MRI, ultrasound, they are costed just enough money to maintain the machines. So for him, this is not about profit. It is about providing world-class health care to both poor and rich, male and female, at an affordable cost.

“In fact, even before this outreach, just three months ago, he instructed that all treatment fees should be slashed by 50%.”

He added that beneficiaries cut across men, women, and children that have lived with medical and surgical conditions for some time.

Another patient of hynea, 52-year-old Festus Egbe, who stated that he had suffered the ailment for 15 years, said he came from Abuja to get the free surgery. He thanked the initiators of the free medicare and called for public spirited persons to join in sponsoring the programme so as to reach out to more persons.