380 Rivers Residents Benefit from Pamo Teaching Hospital’s Free Medicare
Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
About 380 residents of Rivers State have benefited from the free medical outreach organised by Pamo University Teaching Hospital in the state.
The medical mission, it was gathered, was part of activities marking the 2025 PAMO University of Medical Sciences convocation ceremony.
The Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, and Coordinator, Clinical Services at PAMO Teaching Hospital, Dr. Akaninyene Ubom, who spoke with journalists while the outreach was ongoing, noted that more than 380 patients have benefited so far from the exercise which commenced on Wednesday.
He stated that the initiative, which 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, is meant 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 due to its high cost.
He stated that 12 categories of surgeries — general and paediatric — were carried out, including, breast lump, eye surgery, treatment and appendectomy, amongst others.
According to Ubom, “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 healthcare. It is in recognising this problem that His Excellency, Sir (Dr.) Peter Odili established this hospital.
“The radiological investigations, CT scan, MRI, ultrasound, they cost just enough money to maintain the machines. So for him, this is not about profit, it is about providing world-class healthcare 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.
Meanwhile, a 46-year-old widow, Favour Mbade, who was treated of hernia, is among the beneficiaries of the two-day free medical service.
Speaking with journalists on her hospital bed, Mbade ,who is a mother of three, stated that she previously underwent a colon cancer surgery that resulted in the hernia.
She 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 over a million naira to do it. So this one came free; what more can I say? Thank you so much PAMO Hospital,” she stated.
Another patient of hernia, 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.
