Nyokpo Hull-Tyger,a patient who was admitted at the University of PortHarcourt Teaching Hospital(UPTH) on 2nd December,2023 has accused the hospital of extra billing,carelessness and poor management process.
Mr Hull-Tyger in an interview with Journalists on Wednesday 10,January,2024 said
“On the 2nd December,2023 I was rushed to University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital(UPTH) as a result of severe stomach ache .After examination, I was informed that I will be having appendectomy surgery but had to wait for other test results to be out.
“At this time I was at the emergency ward unit in one of the consulting room.I was moved from there to a trauma unit, that was about 1-2pm in the afternoon.I remained there from that time till the following afternoon without anybody attending to me .
“A nurse came in, into the the ward, I jokingly told her, I am sure the Doctors attending to me are on leave or strike that is why no one has attended to me since I was brought here since yesterday.
“She checked my folder and saw that it was written patient not seen. Which means my movement from the consulting room to the trauma unit was not recorded. So she made contact and the Doctors came to see me and about 9-10pm I was taken to the theatre.
“While the surgery was on,the generating set was put off .The Doctors has to put on their cell phone to continue work. One of them called the officers incharge of the generator and told him that they were still in the theatre .And he (generator operator) asked if it is the case of appendectomy, the Doctor said yes and his response was okay.
“The generator was later put on. It took about fifteen minutes. Before I was taken to the theatre I was asked to provide surgical gowns four set for myself and the other three medical Doctors that will attend to me.
“On my discharge, I came for dressing, I was asked to pay dressing fee which i did .They told me that I am still required to provide all items for the dressing like plaster, cotton wool and hand glove .
“My second visit for dressing I was asked to do the same thing,I insisted that I was not going to provide those items having paid for dressing and the nurse on duty insisted that l provide hand glove which i went out to purchase a pair of hand glove and came back. A senior officer saw the hand glove and said that was wrong that I was not suppose to buy it the nurse insisted.
“My third visit I was not attended to because I did not provide those items.This attitude is wrong. My experience was not palatable.We have good Doctors who are working hard to safe the lives of patients but the management of the process was very bad.
“I think something urgently need to be done to safe the lives of people”.
When contacted by revelationagents.com,the Public Relations Officer of UPTH,Meni Elabha said “noted, I will communicate to management”.