Mayor of Housing Supports Meridian Hospital Group on Medical Outreach As Experts Call For Effective Health Insurance In Nigeria To Save The Poor

The Mayor of Housing, My-ACE China, along with medical experts and philanthropists have warned that health sector crisis may explode if health insurance is not strengthened to save the poor. They demanded a review of Nigeria’s health insurance scheme now at very low levels to save lives in hospitals instead cash-and-carry system.

The stakeholders placed spoke on the eve of Christmas when the Mayor of Housing, My-ACE China, teamed up with a renowned hospital group in Port Harcourt, the Meridian Hospitals, which is in partnership with the Pilgrims Health Foundation (Africa), to carry out a one-day medical outreach which in the Rivers State capital.

The stakeholders said keeping a patient untreated because of lack of deposit has led to many deaths, and lamented the failure of the health insurance system which they said works in other less endowed countries. 

The Mayor of Housing told newsmen that in the short period he worked as a lab scientist in hospital, he came face to face with the horrors of cash-and-carry health delivery system and the dying cries of patients. 

Other partners also cried to the government to make haste and create an effective health insurance system that would give Nigerians attention without paying all the cash demanded.  

These were the highlights of the free treatment scheme which took place at Oromenike Government Girls Secondary School in D-Line, Port Harcourt, where over 400 persons were expected to get free treatments including free eye glasses and booking for eye surgeries.  

Other areas of treatment included general health consultations and treatment; blood pressure and sugar level testing; malaria testing and treatment; free prescriptions; preventive health talks focusing on hygiene, maternal health, and nutrition. The scheme was conducted under the theme: ‘Bringing Healthcare to the Community.’

Newsmen who visited the venue of the scheme found that enthusiastic beneficiaries had thronged the area as early as 7am. After setting up, the medical team began attending to the patients. 

Mr Jerry Onwuso, a 63-year-old patient, who was first to see eye doctors and got eye glasses and drugs, told newsmen that he was pleased with the medical intervention. He made it clear he did not pay any money to get all the treatments and glasses, and pleaded that the scheme be sustained. 

Another patient, Loveth Sam, commended the scheme and appealed to the sponsors to continue to increase the benefits. 

Throwing some light on the scheme, Mr China said he worked in Meridian Hospitals as a lab scientist 19 years ago, but resigned because he could not bear to see patients struggling for life because they had no money to pay. He said he came back to help extend free medical treatment to the less privileged. 

Sources said China was always having issues with the hospital authorities when he would insist on critical patients being allowed to be treated first money or not.  

Years later, China, who now goes by a brand name, the Mayor of Housing, returned to the Meridian Hospital headquarters to support free medical scheme. He also went the next day to the headquarters of Meridian to give cash gifts and palliatives to workers he met there when he worked there but had remained in service since he left. 

He encouraged to continue to give their all to humanity through the hospital. He called most of them by name and a cloud of emotion descended on them during the reunion. 

Appreciating the gesture, the Founder and Chief Medical Director of Meridian Hospital group, Dr Iyke Odo, said China had always manifested hard-work, ambition, and impulsive giving. He said the then young bright boy was full of humanity, kindness, love, and made friends easily. 

He said: “Not everybody that gives is a giver. The difference is that Givers are given to give.”

Dr Odo used the opportunity to call on governments to review Nigeria’s health insurance system and make it work in Nigeria to save lives. He said it was sad watching critically sick persons abandoned because of lack of money. 

He also condemned harsh tax and electricity tariffs whereby facilities like his now pay N12m instead of N500,000 few years back. 

He wondered why hospitals are being made to pay tariffs like oil companies, citing many other countries where medical facilities are placed on low rates and tariffs so they can charge moderate fees to patients. 

Reunion and emotion:

It was a moment of emotions the next day when the Mayor of Housing staged a reunion at the Meridian Hospitals group in Oromenike area of D-Line in Port Harcourt. 

The real estate success strategist had worked at the Meridian almost two decades ago but said he resigned when he could not cope with the site of patients struggling to access medical care just because they could not pay the deposits.

Mr China, who said Meridian was the first and last place he worked in life before he found that salary was never going to give him financial freedom and would not allow the creativity in him to explode. 

The CEO of the Housing and Construction Mayor Ltd, the group behind the upcoming Alesa Highlands Sustainable Green Smart City, said he returned to the place (Meridian) to begin to fulfil his dream of helping indigent persons pay medical bills. He created further excitement when he awarded cash gifts and gave Christmas palliatives to about 10 workers that had been his workmates years back. 

The Mayor of Housing who is pushing for an economic triangle in the south-south and east said he was excited to come back to the place that made him see light and meaning in life because it was where he encountered the first meaning of life that convinced him that only entrepreneurship could grant him financial freedom enough to help give free health to others. 

Reacting to the gifts, the Founder and Chief Medical Director (Dr Odo) said China had always manifested courage, infectious friendship, hard-work, ambition, and impulsive giving.

Dr Odo said; “Not everybody that gives is a Giver. The difference is that Givers are given to give.”

He used the opportunity to call on the federal and state governments to make health insurance effective in Nigeria to save lives. 

Most of the former co-workers took turns to speak about China, all agreeing that he was ambitious, hardworking, honest, and full of enthusiasm. 

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Francesca Nzeako, head of nursing at the hospital, said she was shut of words seeing China transform to the Mayor of Housing and a big philanthropist. 

She joined others to pray for China’s protection and more success in life. 

The highlight of the reunion was the blessing and anointing of China by the CMD and most of the beneficiaries, pouring prayers on his head.  

Earlier at the medical outreach in Oromenike Government Girls Secondary School, Chioma Faith Nnadi, the country manager/project coordinator of Pilgrims Health Foundation (Africa), told newsmen that the scheme also involved other forms of support including scholarships. 

Chioma Nnadi further stated that a total of 400 persons were expected to benefit from the programme with 150 needing eye glasses.

A patient, Loveth Sam, commended the organizers of the medical outreach for the gesture, saying it has catered to her health needs and lifted the financial burden off her shoulders.

On his own, Onwuso made it clear he did not pay any money to get all the treatments and glasses, and pleaded that the scheme be sustained.