The University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) in Rivers State has faulted reports that Grammy Award-winning singer, Damini Ogulu, fondly called Burna Boy, paid all medical bills for patients during a recent visit to the hospital.
The hospital said Burna Boy only settled the bills of selected patients at the facility, contrary to claims of covering all outstanding bills.
The hospital’s spokesperson, Elabha Meni, made the clarification in a statement on Friday, June 21, 2024.
Meni noted: “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.”
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Meni, however, lauded the musician’s charitable act in helping those in need in society.
32-year-old Burna Boy hails from Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
The ‘City Boy’ crooner rose to stardom in 2012 after releasing ‘Like to Party’, the lead single from his debut studio album, ‘L.I.F.E’ released in 2013.
His fourth studio album, ‘African Giant’, which was released in July 2019, won Album of the Year at the 2019 All Africa Music Awards and was nominated for Best World Music Album at the 62nd Grammy Awards.
Burna Boy released his fifth studio album, ‘Twice as Tall’, in August 2020 and won Best World Music Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.
Burna Boy’s sixth studio album, ‘Love, Damini’, was released in July 2022 and became the highest debut of an African album on the Billboard 200 chart.
It also became the highest-charted African album in the Netherlands, United Kingdom, and France.
In October 2022, 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.
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