IMHA: Fmr. Speaker gives reasons for his motion to curb “Medical detention”

Alex Ibeh

“Personal Experience brought forth the sponsorship of the motion to direct the Ministry of Health to urgently develop and deliver a program that will curb medical detention in Imo State,” said, Rt. Hon. Kennedy Ibeh.

During the plenary on Thursday 23rd, May, 2024, the former Speaker, Imo State House Assembly, Rt. Hon. Kennedy Ibeh and Member representing Obowo State Constituency moved a motion on the subject matter.

The motion was afterwards adopted by the house after much deliberations.

Leading in the debate, Rt. Hon. Kennedy Ibe argued that it was wrong to allow patients who could not afford the hospital bill to remain in the ward for unable to pay the hospital bill.

He described the situation as an anomaly requiring immediate redress, noting that it was illegal to incarcerate people without a legal mandate.
He therefore solicited the support of his colleagues in the house to urge the state governor, Hope Uzodimma, to direct the state Ministry of Health to urgently develop a policy to correct the practice by hospitals.

Supporting the motion, Samuel Otuibe, representing Ahiazu Mbaise Constituency, described the situation as only a small part of the huge problem in the health sector.

Mr Otuibe said some illegally detained patients were, in some cases, converted to unpaid workers by the hospitals to recover their bills.

He also said some hospitals charge exorbitant bills, making it more difficult for patients to pay, and called on the ministry to set up a public complaints committee to handle all such complaints.

Contributing, Dominic Ezerioha (Oru West-APC) described the issue as illegal and called for immediate action to end it.

He also urged members to check the hospitals involved in such unwholesome practices in their constituencies to help people in such helpless situations.

Deputy Speaker Amarachi Iwuanyanwu, who presided over the session, ruled in favour of the motion, following a unanimous vote supporting it.

Mr Iwuanyanwu commended the sponsor for bringing up the illegality on the assembly floor for legislative action.
Speaking to Journalists in his office shortly after the Plenary, Ibeh expatiated that It was born out of personal experience,
According to him, I considered politics and political service to my people and representation.
And of ofcourse, any service that does not translate to the well being, protection and defence of the people is not worthwhile.

He said: “As part of my programs called “Hospital delivery”. I call it hospital delivery because from time to time, i go to hospitals in Obowo State Constituency, search for those who have been discharged but couldn’t pay their hospital bills and i pay their bills so that they go home, happily.

“That humanitarian disposition led me to discover numerous patients been detained in the hospital because of their inability to pay hospital bills, I have paid hospital bills for patients who had spent six months, one year, two years, after been discharged. “I have paid two hundred and fifty thousand naira, four hundred thousand as the case may be, at Chinemerem Hospital, Owerri and Federal Medical center Owerri, the claims are verifiable and the records are there.”

“I was fulfilled by their joy and satisfaction”