Governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo, has paid the medical bills of a pregnant woman and her husband who are currently receiving treatment for severe burn injuries.
The governor made the intervention during a visit to Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, where he also directed the payment of medical bills for several other patients admitted in different wards of the hospital.
Speaking with journalists after the visit, Okpebholo explained that the pregnant woman had initially approached him to seek financial assistance for her husband, who sustained serious burns in a fire incident.
According to the governor, the situation quickly became urgent when members of his medical team noticed that the woman was already due for delivery and immediately arranged for her to be taken to the hospital for proper care.
He disclosed that doctors at the facility later performed a successful cesarean section, which resulted in the safe delivery of her baby.
“The woman came to seek help for her husband because they needed money to pay his hospital bills. When my doctors saw that she was already due for delivery, they immediately rushed her to the hospital where she later gave birth through a cesarean operation,” the governor said.
Okpebholo further revealed that the state government had reached an agreement with the hospital management to offset the medical bills of the couple as well as those of other patients receiving treatment at the facility.
“We have agreed with the hospital management to pay their bills and those of other patients we met in the wards. They have no reason to worry about hospital payments, and their treatment can continue. By the grace of God, we believe the man and others in the ICU will recover quickly,” he added.
The governor noted that the gesture reflects his administration’s commitment to supporting Edo residents, particularly those facing medical emergencies and financial hardship.
Patients and their relatives who benefited from the intervention expressed appreciation for the governor’s support, describing it as a timely relief amid rising healthcare costs.
The statement was issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Patrick Akhere Ebojele, on Sunday.
