FMC Director: 42,000 Victims of Farmers/Herdsmen Clashes Have Received Medical Attention in Six Months

George Okoh in Makurdi

The Chief Medical Director, Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Makurdi, Benue State. Dr. Peteru Inunduh, has disclosed that the hospital has treated over 42,000 victims of herdsmen/farmers attacks in Benue and Taraba States.

Inunduh who disclosed this during interactive session with journalists in Makurdi thursday, said the development had made the centre to lose millions of naira because most of the victims brought to the hospital could hardly afford their hospital bills after treatment.

He said the Taraba State Government alone owes the hospital over N3 million as a result of the 35 victims of Wukari/Fulani herdsmen crisis sent to the centre for treatment and discharged last year.

According to him, the Benue State farmers/Fulani herdsmen crisis has substantially contributed to impoverishing Benue people with a high number of patients being admitted on a daily basis for various degree of sickness and injuries.

‘’Just imagine, in six months only, over 42,000 patients were brought to the hospital and treated,but very few of them could afford to pay their bills, the remaining ones could not offset their bills. The hospital has no option than to write off the bills through welfare unit,’’ Inunduh stated.

The MD lamented that the development has drastically reduced revenue generation for the hospital, stressing that the internally generated revenue (IGR) is no longer improving the way it is expected to augment what they get monthly from Abuja to enable the center function optimally.