Calabar Teaching Hospital Denies Rejecting Emergency Patients

The University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, under the leadership of Chief Medical Director Prof. Ikpem Ikpem, has strongly denied allegations that it rejects emergency patients due to their inability to pay.

During a facility tour on Friday, Prof. Ikpem stated that the hospital does not demand payment before treating patients in emergency situations.

He emphasized that the priority is to stabilize patients and prevent loss of life, particularly for indigent patients, who are often treated while payment discussions occur afterward. The hospital currently operates 38 wards and clinics, with 62 non-clinic departments undergoing renovations.

It performs advanced medical procedures, including hip and knee replacements, brain tumor surgeries, and minimally invasive surgeries. To address increasing patient pressure, the hospital is constructing a new emergency medicine department, which will include a trauma bay, intensive care unit, and emergency theatre.

The hospital serves not only residents of Cross River State but also patients from neighboring states and countries, including Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. Prof.

Ikpem commended the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Federal Ministry of Health for their support in modernizing the hospital's infrastructure and medical equipment.