The management of Saint Gerald’s Catholic Hospital in Kaduna has appealed to Governor Nasir El-Rufai to clear a debt of over N15million owed it by the state government from 2011.

 

The administrator of the hospital, Reverend Sister Beatrice Danladi, said yesterday at a capacity building workshop organised for top management of the hospital that recovery of the debt had become necessary to enable the hospital embark on its plan to upgrade equipment and service delivery.

 

According to her, the debt arose from medical treatments given to victims of post-election violence, bomb blasts, train accidents and fire incidents in the state within the five years which the government promised to foot the bills.

 

“The state government used to support the hospital financially by depositing some amount of money with it in case of massive medical treatment for accident victims or any unforeseen disaster that may fall within government’s responsibility but such deposits were stopped recently without any cogent reason. 

 

 

Government used to give us N270,000 and at a point it was increased to N500,000 so that we can help victims who are unknown in the hospital but for over two months now, the state government has refused to redeem this amount,”

 

“We are appealing to the state government to please help us out by paying up this debt to enable us give quality service and procure better equipment for the benefit of our patients. Although, the debt will not stop us from rendering services to the state because we rely on God and some philanthropists too have been very helpful to us’’, she said.

 

She however commended the government for being supportive in terms of inviting staff of the hospital for workshops, giving ambulances and other engagements.

 

By Christiana T. Alabi

Daily Trust