The management of Babcock University Teaching Hospital, Ilisan Remo, has taken significant steps to locate the children of their patient, 81-year-old Mr. Maurice Okpenyong, who has been left abandoned at the medical facility.
According to a statement from Dr. Joshua Suleiman, the university’s Director of Communication, the hospital has launched a search party to locate Mr. Okpenyong’s children, who brought him to the hospital but have since refused to take him home after he was discharged in December 2023.
Mr. Okpenyong, a native of Obot Akara Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, was admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of Repeat Suprapubic Cystostomy.
His medical bill, which was initially N399,320 at the time of discharge, has escalated to N1,279,350 due to his extended stay in the hospital after his children failed to take him home.
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The whereabouts of Mr. Okpenyong’s son, Lawrence, and daughter remain unknown to the hospital management despite efforts to locate them, including collaboration with the police in Ilishan, Area F, and Bariga.
The hospital management has made this case public to urge the patient’s family to come forward and take responsibility for his care, as the hospital can no longer guarantee his welfare.
Mr. Okpenyong has reportedly become unruly and abusive towards hospital staff, at times removing his urine bag and urinating on the floor, creating unpleasant conditions.
The hospital is concerned for Mr. Okpenyong’s well-being and safety, given his behavior and the escalating medical bills.
They have taken measures to monitor him closely to prevent any attempts to abscond.
This public appeal aims to reach Mr. Okpenyong’s family members and urge them to come forward to take him home and provide the necessary care and support he needs.
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