BENUE VARSITY HOSPITAL DELIVERS FIRST IVF BABIES AS PENSIONERS GET FREE MEDICAL SERVICES
10th January, 2025
Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) Makurdi has delivered its First Three In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) babies.
This is even as the Chief Medical Director (CMD) BSUTH Dr. Stephen Hwande announced that apart from drugs and laboratory tests, certified pensioners coming to access healthcare services in this facility would be given cards free of charge alongside consultation and bed fees if admitted.
Dr. Hwande who disclosed this during a press conference in Makurdi also commended Governor Hyacinth Alia for allocating over N82 billion of the 2025 budget to the health sector, explaining that the Muhammadu Buhari Hospital is Annex of BSUTH.
According to him, “BSUTH is the First public hospital in the whole 19 States of the North to commence assisted reproductive services at a subsidized rate so as to carry everyone along.
“The whole idea is to key into Governor Alia’s commitment of ensuring quality, accessible and affordable healthcare services for the masses.” He added that the three successful cases recorded were from two women and were all boys.
He said, “I want to inform you that the Muhammadu Buhari Mother and Child Health Centre is now an annex of BSUTH, and whatever we are doing here is at a reduced rate to enable the poorest to also have access to quality healthcare services at an affordable rate.
That is why delivery here without complications is only N5000.”
While commending Governor Alia for clearing the outstanding salary arrears of BSUTH inherited from the previous administration to the tune of N800 billion, Dr Hwande said, “We are dedicating this hospital as part of the government’s corporate social responsibility to support the masses to get quality healthcare services.”
“ As a fertility doctor when I was appointed the CMD of BSUTH, in 2023, I brought my wealth of experience and knowledge of the fertility to the public domain to ensure that no one is called barren no matter how poor, this is our first trial and we recorded huge success with two women delivering 3 healthy babies,” he said.
Dr Hwande, who described the seven to eight stages involved in assisted reproduction as difficult and tedious, also disclosed that instead of the N1.5 million average cost of IVF in Benue State, the hospital is collecting N400,000 as initial payment.
Earlier, the coordinating doctor of the Muhammadu Buhari Mother and Child Hospital, Dr. Luper Uva, commended the efforts of Governor Alia in ensuring that all citizens, including the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), have equal access to quality health services.
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