The Chief Medical Director of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Prof. Ikpeme Ikpeme, has said the hospital does not demand payment before treating patients in emergency situations.
Prof. Ikpeme stated this on Friday during a facility tour of the hospital by journalists in Calabar, noting that the policy aligns with the hospital’s commitment to saving lives first.
He strongly denied claims that emergency patients are rejected for inability to pay hospital bills, especially during emergency cases, stressing that indigent patients are often treated before discussions about payment.
Prof. Ikpeme said, “For emergencies, we do not insist on payment before treatment begins. Indigent patients are often treated before discussions about payment.”
“Our priority is to stabilise the patient and prevent loss of life. Let the public know that we do not insist on payment before treatment during emergency cases”, he emphasised.
He revealed that the hospital currently operates about 38 wards and clinics within its 62 clinical and non-clinical departments, adding that most of the wards had either undergone complete remodelling or facelift renovations.
Prof. Ikpeme said the hospital now performs advanced medical procedures, including hip and knee replacements, brain tumour surgeries, spinal surgeries, and minimally invasive surgeries popularly known as keyhole surgeries.
“We do keyhole surgery. If your appendix is giving you a problem, we can take it out, and the following day, we send you home because we have done minimal access surgery,” he said.
He also disclosed that the hospital was constructing a new Department of Emergency Medicine to address increasing patient pressure, noting that the facility would include trauma bays, intensive care units and emergency theatres.
According to him, the hospital serves not only Cross River residents but also patients from neighbouring states and countries, including Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea.
Prof. Ikpeme commended the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Federal Ministry of Health for supporting the hospital with infrastructure and modern medical equipment.
“I want to use this medium to appreciate the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Federal Ministry of Health for supporting the hospital with infrastructure and modern medical equipment,” he added.
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