The Imo House of Assembly has adopted a motion to end the “illegal detention” of indigent patients who could not afford their hospital bills after discharge.
The assembly’s resolution followed a motion sponsored by Kennedy Ibe (APC-Obowo) and presented during Thursday’s plenary session.
Defending the motion, Mr Ibe argued that aside from the detention of the patients, corpses of some dead patients, whose relatives were unable to pay their bills, were also detained in the morgues while the bills continued to mount.
He described the situation as an anomaly requiring immediate redress, noting that it was illegal to incarcerate people without a legal mandate.
The lawmaker further said a balance should be struck to accommodate people’s dignity and recommended a promissory note that would outline when such bills could be paid.
He prayed the house to urge the state governor, Hope Uzodimma, to direct the state Ministry of Health to urgently develop a policy to correct the practice by hospitals.
Supporting the motion, Samuel Otuibe, representing Ahiazu Mbaise Constituency, described the situation as only a small part of the huge problem in the health sector.
Mr Otuibe said some illegally detained patients were, in some cases, converted to unpaid workers by the hospitals to recover their bills.
He also said some hospitals charge exorbitant bills, making it more difficult for patients to pay, and called on the ministry to set up a public complaints committee to handle all such complaints.
Contributing, Dominic Ezerioha (Oru West-APC) described the issue as illegal and called for immediate action to end it.
He also urged members to check the hospitals involved in such unwholesome practices in their constituencies to help people in such helpless situations.
Deputy Speaker Amarachi Iwuanyanwu, who presided over the session, ruled in favour of the motion, following a unanimous vote supporting it.
Mr Iwuanyanwu commended the sponsor for bringing up the illegality on the assembly floor for legislative action.
(NAN)