Nigeria News: Tears of Joy flows, As First Lady of Delta state Mrs Dame Edith Okowa pays 5.1 million for patients| Jeremy Spell Blog

It was an emotional day for many indigent
patients at the Federal Medical Centre, Delta
State as the wife of the state Governor,
Dame Edith Okowa facilitated the payment
of bills of 25 patients who were set for
discharge but could not pay.
At a ceremony in Asaba, tagged
“International Day of Charity”, Mrs Okowa
raised a total of five million, one hundred
thousand naira (N5.1 million) from good
spirited Nigerians in Delta to pay the bills of
the poor patients.
Some of the beneficiaries of the kind
gesture could not hold back tears as they
danced and jumped upon hearing their
names on the list of those whose bills had
been paid.
A number of the patients had been in the
hospital for several moths receiving
treatments and have remained in the
hospital for more months after being
discharged due to their inability to pay their
bills.
Some of the patients were owing almost
five hundred thousand Naira.
Mrs Promise Lazarus who was attacked by
her husband could not hold back tears over
the gesture of Dame Okowa
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Promise
Lazarus was a victim of domestic violence:
she was attacked by her husband with a
machete in February and was admitted to
the Hospital for six months.
Upon being discharged, she was unable to
pay her bill of N492,000 and had to remain
in the hospital until the State First Lady
came to her rescue with the charity
programme.
Another beneficiary who wept
uncontrollable, not only had her bill of
N346, 800 paid but was handed to an
associate of Dame Okowa as she had
nowhere to go from the hospital.
Another beneficiary whose bills were paid
and she was given accommodation
Speaking at the event, Mrs Okowa told the
patients and management of the hospital
that all the money came from good spirited
Nigerians and not from the state
government.
She said that the gesture is part of the
Charity Day which is commomerated on
September 5 to reach out to the poor.
For her, the reach out to indigent patients
in the hospital was a way to increase
solidarity, social responsibility, volunteerism
and public support.
Mr Okowa stressed that the event was also
aimed at raising public awareness on the
need for charity work, noting that being
alive does not necessarily mean ‘we are the
best but what we do today is what we will
reap tomorrow.’
“It is not only the rich that should give help
but every Nigerian should give because
giving is a spirit that should be imbibed by
all human beings.
The Delta First Lady said that she derived
her passion to give from a passage in the
Holy Bible: Matthew Chapter 25: 35 – 36
which said ‘I was hungry and ye gave me
meat, I was thirsty and ye gave me drink, I
was a stranger and ye took me in, naked
and ye clothed me, I was in prison and ye
came to me.”
She commended the management of the
Federal Medical Centre, Asaba, for treating
patients first without demanding monies.
For the Hospital’s Medical Director, Dr. Victor
Osiatuma, he commended Dame Okowa for
her charity works across the state, and
affecting the lives of many.
He recalled that Mrs Okowa had initiated
many programmes to help the poor,
including building sickle centres, free health
programmes and her charity works.
“Last year, specifically, September 5, 2017,
the governor’s wife also, through the pet
project, 05 initiative, spent over N2.3million
to bail out 13 patients who also could not
pay their medical bills at the same hospital,”
he said.
Some of the beneficiaries include:
Chukwunyem Esther, N310, 850; Chukwudi
Joshua, N135, 700; Okolie Ifeanyi, N439,
200; Ubong Kingsley, N307, 050 and
Onwugbolu Sunday, N221, 000.
Others are; Oki John, 422, 000; Obi Jerry,
N216, 350; Obianke Onyisi-Ken, N171; 850;
Okoh Patrick, N597, 700 and Edhu Ejiro,
N160, 850.
Mrs Promise Lazarus with other
beneficiaries thanking the wife of the
Governor Dame Okowa
Responding, a beneficiaries Mrs. Promise
Lazarus, expressed happiness over the
gesture.
She thanked the governor’s wife, the people
of Delta state and the management of the
Federal Medical Centre for their
magnanimity to her and other patients.