The management of Kogi State Specialist Hospital (KSSH) refuted the alleged extortion of the public with exorbitant medical charges from patients on Thursday.
Recall that a group under the aegis of surveillance for a better Kogi State has berated the management of Kogi State Specialist Hospital Lokoja, led by the Chief Medical Director, Prof. Isah Yahaya Adagiri, for allegedly extorting the public with their exorbitant medical charges from their patients.
In a statement by its spokesperson, Adeiza Ibrahim, the group lamented that the hospital, which used to be a safe haven for patients because of its accessibility and affordability for healthcare, has now become a shadow of itself as the cost of services has gone through the roof.
However, the Chief Medical Director of the Hospital, Professor Isah Adagiri, said in a press conference to debunk the online publication that it was orchestrated by some miscreants who are hell-bent to rubbish the hospital.
According to the management, the malicious publication was purportedly authored by a faceless social media blog that deviated from the core journalism profession of investigation before the publication of a news item.
He said that in the last two years, the management has not increased its medical charges, noting that the hospital was established to serve the people at affordable charges.
He lamented that some staff that were either dismissed or suspended for various offences constitute themselves a cog that has been causing problems in the hospital through false publication.
“In the last two years, we have not increased the charges for our services. We are here to serve the people, and the state government has been supporting the hospital.
Over one billion naira had been spent by the former governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, for the remodelling of the hospital, and this commitment gave a facelift to the hospital,” the CMD said.
Also speaking on the allegation that the hospital had suffered low patronage of patients, the CMD described the claim as untrue, saying the hospital is always busy and attending to numerous patients to seek medical attention.
“In fact, our hospital is the only medical facility that has a viable mortuary and it is very busy and well patronised. It is not a ghost hospital, as erroneously and mischievously claimed by enemies of the hospital who have nothing to do and say other than pulling the hospital down,” he stated.
Reacting to the claim that the management auctioned vehicles without due process, Professor Adagiri stated that it was normal in any government establishment to auction unserviceable vehicles, noting that it was the state ministry of finance that did the auction and not the hospital.
