The University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) has clarified reports that musician, Burna Boy, covered all medical bills for patients during a recent visit to the hospital.
The hospital said that the music icon only settled the bills of selected patients at the facility, contrary to claims of covering all outstanding bills.
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Mrs Elabha Meni, the institution’s spokesperson, made the clarification in a statement released in Port Harcourt on Friday.
“We commend Burna Boy’s kindness in financially assisting select patients in our hospital to offset their bills during his visit on June 11.
“However, contrary to reports stating that all patients bills in UPTH were paid during the visit, only selected patients received cash gifts or donations.
“The hospital did not receive direct payments from the musician and his team on behalf of patients to support this worthy course of reducing healthcare cost,” Meni clarified.
Meni lauded the musician’s charitable act in helping those in need in the society.
News making the rounds earlier said that the award-winning Afrobeat artist Burna Boy visited the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital and reportedly paid the medical bills for all patients in one of the hospital wards.
A video showed Burna Boy exiting the hospital, surrounded by happy fans and nurses.
The news received widespread admiration and praise on social media, with many hailing Burna Boy as a true leader and a champion of goodwill.
The scene depicted fans, including some nurses on duty, surrounding the singer with jubilation and gratitude.
Born Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu on 2 July 1991) but known professionally as Burna Boy, the Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer rose to stardom in 2012 after releasing “Like to Party”, the lead single from his debut studio album L.I.F.E (2013). In 2017, Burna Boy signed with Atlantic Records in the United States (and its parent company Warner Music Group internationally) to release his third studio album, Outside (2018).
In 2019, he won Best International Act at the BET Awards, and was named an Apple Music Up Next artist. He also released his fourth studio album, African Giant, which went on to win Album of the Year at the All Africa Music Awards and was nominated for Best World Music Album at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards. He was awarded African Artist of the Year at the 2020 Ghana Music Awards. Burna Boy released his fifth studio album, Twice as Tall, in August 2020. It won Best World Music Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. He again won Best International Act at the 2021 BET Awards.
Burna Boy’s sixth studio album Love, Damini was released in 2022 and became the highest debut of a Nigerian album on the Billboard 200 chart. It also became the highest-charting African album in France, the Netherlands and the UK. In October, Burna Boy was awarded the Member of the Order of the Federal Republic plaque for his achievements in music. In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked him number 197 on its list of the 200 greatest singers of all time. Burna Boy won his fourth Best International Act at the BET Awards in 2023. He won The Headies Afrobeats Single of the Year category and also the Song of the Year for “Last Last”.
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