Doctor calls out CCECC over failure to pay medical bills of their staff member

The Medical Director of Best Medical Centre Limited in Ketu-Ijanikin, Doctor, Martins Udobi, is crying for justice over what he called “unfair treatment” by CCECC, a Chinese construction firm.

Udobi said the firm brought one of its staff that was almost disabled due to a severe accident suffered during active engagement with the company, claiming that after successfully treating the patient, the construction company’s management has refused to pay his bill to the tune of N2, 890,500.00.

He, however, called on human rights group and the Lagos State government to prevail on the firm to pay for his service of bringing the patient, whose leg was almost amputated, back to life.

“On the 2, October 2017, a man called Ezechukwu brought a boy, Ifeanyi Joshua Ofobu. The boy was almost dead and he told me that three doctors had rejected him and he is now at the verge of amputation. They asked if I could fix the leg, I said yes, I could fix it but that it is a hard job. I didn’t know that they are from a company, so I told the mother that she cannot pay for my service and I urged them to take him to Igbobi or Lagos University Teaching Hospital but she said no.

“She insisted that if I could fix it, there was no point going to those hospitals and I told them I don’t agree unless they gave me their words in writing which they did and gave me N300, 000.00 and promised they would bring additional money as the treatment proceeded.

“When we started, the first time we touched the boy, we extracted one bottle full of maggot. I called and told them that I didn’t know that the boy’s bone were broken and that we would require the services of an orthopedic doctor and they said I should go ahead. I transfused the boy four pints of blood, which I bought from Ayinke house and then I continued. The boy could not stand, I spent a lot on anti-biotic along the line and I told his family that this thing was getting too much on me that the N300, 000 didn’t last even a week and that I needed additional money.

“He insisted that I should continue with the treatment as the Chinese are very good people.  I kept on borrowing money to effect the treatment.  They said they want the bill after seeing the boy; I bought crotches for the boy, so that he can move around. They asked to bring the final bill, which I gave them and they left. Only to come back and say the bill of N2, 890,500.00 was too much. I reduced it to 2.5 million and I called Modupe, a CCECC staff. Since then, I have not heard anything from them. They took the bill, and said they would bring cheque for me, up till now, I haven’t seen anything.

“I want justice and I want them to pay me for my services. I am too old for them to owe. I have staff and I need to pay salaries. I am calling on the state government to prevail on them to pay my money,” the medical director explained.

Spokesman of CCECC, simply identified as Kelvin, said that his company refused to pay him for several reasons.

He referred this report to one Obioma who noted that the doctor did not do his work well.

“He almost killed the patient. If not for our quick intervention of taking the young man to another hospital, it would have turned to something else. The new hospital we took him to is doing a good job. We told the doctor the amount he was calling was too much, as he did not do a good job. As we speak now, the young man can stand,” Obioma stated.

Credit: National Wire