LAGOS—Mrs Gloria
Okore, the woman detained for seven
weeks by Bessylva Hospital and Maternity Home, Agege, following her inability
to settle a debt of
N35,000 after being delivered of triplets, has thanked
Nigerians for coming to her rescue by paying the outstanding bills.
She said after
harassing her, the hospital authorities said she was foolish to tell Vanguard
that her debt was N35,000; that she should have said it was N200,000. However,
contacted, the hopsital’s Medical Director, Ngozi Nwachukwu, said Mrs Okore was
being ungrateful. She said as soon as the balance of their bill was off set,
every other donation was given to the couple, including the N500,000 donated by
Mutilinks Computer Services. Meanwhile, speaking with Vanguard yesterday, in
their one-room apartment at Aluminum village, Dopemu, Lagos, Gloria said: “I am
happy that Nigerians came to our rescue after the publication of my story by
Vanguard. My prayer is that every one that contributed will never be put to
shame.” Narrating how God used the publication in Vanguard to bring respite to
her family, Gloria said: “Early on Wednesday morning, while we were still
cleaning the babies, the Medical Director of the hospital came into the ward
and said we should move to another ward that had a small bed because she had a
new patient. “I pleaded with her but she refused and dragged us out. People
gathered and began to beg her; I was crying, unknown to me that God was sending
help. “She said we do not have helper and that we will pay every dime before
she would allow us leave the hospital. That was before she found out that
Vanguard had written a story about our plight. She became furious that Vanguard
published the story, saying that we rubbished the hospital in the media. Donors
arrive “She said I am a foolish illiterate for telling Vanguard that the bill
was N35,000 instead of increasing it to N200,000 so that people would
contribute more. “Immediately after, as God would have it, a man who read the
story in Vanguard came to the hospital and went to the Medical Director’s office
to verify and paid N32,000 cash. I thanked him. The next set of people were
from the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, WAPA, in Alausa,
who went to the Medical Director’s office to discuss with her before coming to
the ward to see me. “They said they were sent to verify the situation and that
they would get back to us. Later a woman and three others came. I suspected
they were from an NGO. After speaking with the Medical Director, they presented
a cheque of N35,000 to her in respect of the bill. They took pictures with the
babies and I before leaving. “Another man came to the hospital, claiming that
his elder brother, who lives in Abuja, read our story in Vanguard and sent a
cheque to us. I explained everything to him. He collected my husband’s details
before going to see the Medical Director, who also gave him her bank details.
“Eventually, he paid N32,000 to the Medical Director’s bank account and N25,000
to our account.” Controversies over monies Mrs. Gloria Okore said later in the
evening, the Medical Director, Ngozi Nwachukwu, came to the ward and said the
cheque the NGO gave to her was invalid as she could not cash the cheque. She
added: “Before we left the hospital, a woman came to the hospital and
transferred N10,000 to the hospital’s bank account before discovering that the
outstanding bill had been cleared. “When she discovered that she asked the
Medical Director to give me the money for the upkeep of the babies. Yet she
denied that she received any payment. Even when the lady in question sent
transaction details.” A donor’s experience Speaking to Vanguard yesterday,
Merit Oloruntobi, who transferred the said N10,000 to Blessylva’s Access Bank
account, said: “I do not know these people from anywhere. I read the story and
it touched me. “On my way back from work at about 6p.m., I went to the
hospital. After discussing with the Medical Director, I transferred N10,000 via
POS at about 7:12p.m. I later discovered through the mother of the babies that
other people had paid the outstanding balance. So I told the Director to
withdraw the money and give it to them. “Surprisingly, when I called them to
find out if they had collected the money, they said the Director said the money
did not reflect in her account. Even when I called her, she said the same
thing.” Hospital reacts Reacting to the allegations, Ngozi Nwachukwu, the
Medical Director, said: “Gloria and her husband never gave me any money; it was
people, who read the story, that came to the hospital. “I never detained them. Immediately the outstanding balance of
N67,000 was completed, I discharged them and gave them the receipt. “Some
people from Mutilinks Computer Services came to the hospital and paid N500,000
for her. I took the person to her and they gave her the money. “As for Merit’s
donation, it is in my account. I told them that it is part of the bills, but if
they want I can refund the N10,000. “Concerning the cheque that some people
gave to me, it is still here with me. I have not even cleared it. When I got to
the bank, they said I have to pay it into my account and that after three days
I can withdraw it. When I came back from the bank, I told Gloria. “The money
from everybody that came to assist them in the hospital, I gave them. Why does
this lady want to spoil my name after all I did for them?” Vanguard then called
Gloria, who confirmed that some people came and gave her N500,000. She claimed
it escaped her while she was telling Vanguard about the donations earlier.
Equally, when Vanguard got back to Merit later, she said the Medical Director
had confirmed that she finally received alert for the N10,000 transaction.
Meanwhile, WAPA’s Director, Mrs Fadiro, said plans were on to take the
surviving babies to a government hospital for adequate medical care and
treatment.
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