|
Listen now
|
Ojoma Yusuf, Yola
His Excellency the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, the Waziri Adamawa – among his so numerous to mention traditional titles – is identified as the highest financial contributor, while the former OPEC Secretary General, Alhaji Sanusi Barkindo, the Walin Adamawa of blessed memory, facilitated the second highest contribution to the Hospital Paupers Fund, HPF, Yola, Adamawa state.
This is contained in the HPF yearly reports.
HPF is purposely established to raise funds that would be used to foot the hospital bills of the indigent patients on admission in the then Federal Medical Centre, FMC Yola, the present Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital, MAUTH Yola, Adamawa state.
This was revealed by the HPF chairman Alhaji Abubakar Umar Iya, the Falakin Adamawa, retired Deputy Comptroller General, Nigeria Customs Service and the media mediator of the fund scheme, Adamu Muhammad Dodo in “Taba Kidi Taba Karatu,” a live radio programme, monitored by the Adamawa Broadcasting Corporation, ABC, Yola.
The HPF members explained that initially, the then FMC Yola had been receiving an abnormally high number of patients who got admitted but were unable to pay for the healthcare services rendered to them.
This could not be unconnected with the economic situation of the area arising from the devastation and displacement occasioned by Boko Haram insurgency.
The health facility has traditionally been exempting such patients from paying for the healthcare services rendered to them but the upsurge in the number of those requiring such exemption kept soaring in the face of dwindling financial resources of the hospital.
This has led the management to look into the matter with a view to finding sustainable solutions, hence the creation of the Hospital Paupers Fund Yola.
Established in October 2015, the fund scheme members were selected from retired civil servants with excellent records of fairness and integrity during their service careers, complemented by some senior members of staff of the then FMC, the present MAUTH, Yola.
HPF members listed the following as responsibilities they are charged with:
To establish a purposeful Paupers Fund with a view to assist indigent or less privileged patients who are on admission in the hospital and cannot afford to foot the hospital bills.
To carry out necessary contacts with influential persons, governmental and non-governmental bodies towards generating funds for the Paupers Fund Account.
To advise the hospital on how to operate a viable Paupers Fund Account in FMC Yola.
To determine utilisation of funds from the Paupers Fund Account with regards to hospital bills for exemption of Road Traffic Accident (RTA) Victims who cannot pay their bills.
To advise the hospital from time to time on ways and means of engendering harmonious hospital/community relations. To perform any other duties that may lead to successful operations of the Paupers Fund in the hospital.
HPF secretariat is located at the present Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital, MAUTH Yola, Adamawa State, being allocated and fully furnished by the management of the hospital.
According to the HPF 2021 annual report, the sum of N43,866,904 was spent on 1,432 indigent patients from the year 2016 to 2021. The management of the hospital made the first contribution of an undisclosed amount and continued periodically, part of which was used to facilitate the take off of the fund scheme.
The faith based associations within the hospital are identified as the most consistent monthly contributors to the fund’s account, namely:
The Fellowship of Christian Health Workers Association, makes a monthly donation of N30, 000. The Islamic Medical Association of Nigeria, IMAN, makes a monthly donation of N50, 000.
HRH Lamido Adamawa has donated the sum of N3.5m, while his council members who were present during a courtesy call by the HPF members in the year 2018, have donated the sum of N930.000 making the total sum of N4, 430, 000.
HRH the Ganwari Ganye, (Dr) Umaru Adamu Sanda has made a donation of N500,000. Hamma Bata, Chief Alhamdu Gladson Teneke has donated N50,000.
The former SGF, Babachir David Lawal has made the contribution of one million naira.
The North East Development Commission, NEDC, has made the contribution of two million naira into the Hospital Paupers Fund account. The former OPEC Secretary General, Sanusi Barkindo, the Walin Adamawa of blessed memory, has facilitated the contribution of fifteen million naira through an international oil firm, as a corporate social responsibility.
Tthe former Vice President, the Waziri Adamawa, Alh. Atiku Abubakar, earlier in 2016 donated ten million naira.