The Tobinco Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) under the Tobinco Group of Companies, has paid an amount of GH¢14,858.87 to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) to settle the medical bills of 25 poor patients who could not afford to pay.

Mrs Millicent Akoto, Executive Director ofTobinco Foundation, said the Foundation paid the hospital bills of the patients who were in the emergency, maternity and children’s wards.

The Executive Director said women and children were the most vulnerable, hence the need to focus on them.

Mrs Akoto said the donation, made with the support of the Chairman of Tobinco Group of Companies, was expected to free the patients to go back and continue with their normal work.

Mr Kombina Cambarin, Deputy Director of Administration at KBTH, expressed gratitude to Tobinco for the gesture.

He disclosed that about five to 10 per cent of the patients on admission were unable to pay their bills.

Mr Cambarin said healthcare was the second most expensive thing aside air, and the hospital was compelled to detain some of the patients who due to the economic situation were unable to pay their bills.

He appealed to other corporate institutions to come to their aid to help free such patients.

Madam Alberta Densua Dodoo, the grand-mother of a patient together with the other 24, thanked Tobinco for the gesture, saying “this is a big relief for them.”