Help Needed to Pay Hospital Bill for overseas delegate to 2008 General Conference, the Rev. Okoko Luhata

Editor's Note: Rev. Okoko Luhata, one of the delegates to General Conference 2008 from the Democratic Republic of Congo became critically ill at a stop-over in the Western North Carolina Annual Conference. He has a strong Tennessee Conference connection -- four years ago he spent time itinerating in the Annual Conference lifting up the needs of the Central Congo Conference. He visited Brentwood UMC, Manchester First UMC, Christ UMC in McMinnville, and Cookeville First UMC. He is also a long time and personal friend of the Rev. Bill Lovell and recuperated for 10-days in Bill's home after hospitalization and surgery in the Western North Carolina Annual Conference. The uncovered hospitalization bill was over $28,000, and we include this letter from Mike Collins, Coordinator of Mission Outreach for the Western North Carolina Annual Conference, explaining the situation and asking for persons to help with the medical bill.

June 19, 2008

Dear Fellow United Methodists:

Following General Conference, Rev Okoko Luhata and three other delegates traveled back to the Democratic Republic of Congo through the Western North Carolina Conference, speaking at several churches sponsoring work in the Congo. While in the WNC conference, Rev. Okoko became deathly ill of what was later diagnosed as failed kidneys and cancer. He spent over one week in the hospital, several of these days in ICU. He underwent surgery and his kidneys, though very delicate, began to work.

Eventually Rev. Okoko was able to leave the hospital, rest in the home of a conference member and then traveled to Nashville to recuperate with a friend. On June 2, 2008 Rev Okoko left America and is now home in Kinshasa, D.R. Congo. His prognosis is very poor. We were able to send him home with a 60-day supply of pain medication. His cancer could not be contained and his kidneys contain splints that will eventually become infected, should he survive that long. Basically, Rev. Okoko has gone home to spend some time with his family before death.
No one in the Western North Carolina Conference signed any documentation making the conference legally obligated for expenses. However, as a conference, we believe the church, from the General Church and General agencies, down the line to the local church, as well as the Central DR Congo Conference and Reverend Okoko, himself, are morally and ethically responsible for the expenses.

Rev. Okoko did not qualify for a Government Medicaid grant because he was in the country legally (we were told at the hospital that if he had been illegal he would have qualified). The other possibility for payment would be a Charity Grant through the hospital. In May we applied for the Charity grant. On May 20th we were asked for documentation on Reverend Okoko’s salary. We sent letters to Bishop David Yemba asking for this documentation from the Central DR Congo Conference. We were given seven (7) days to apply for the grant and then this was extended for a period of time. To date we have not received this documentation and our time for applying has run out.

There were two alternatives: first, leave the bills of the hospital and doctors’ offices to be written off with costs passed on to paying patients through higher costs and insurance premiums, or, second, pay the bills. Though not legally responsible, the Western North Carolina Conference has decided to pay as much of the bills as possible. The total cost of the bills received comes to $28,838.69. Documentation for these bills is in the office of Michael Collins, Coordinator of Mission/Outreach. An emergency fund is being used towards these bills.

At this time we are requesting other members of the United Methodist connection to join us in the medical costs of Rev. Okoko. We are setting up a fund within the Treasurer’s Office to receive funds. Please send your contributions to the attention of “The Office of Mission/Outreach.” Address checks to “WNCC Treasurer,” P.O. Box 18005, Charlotte, NC 28218. Memo the check: “Emergency Medical Fund”

During the 2008 WNC Annual Conference we watched a portion of a DVD shared at General Conference promoting world healthcare. It is our opinion we need to match these words and images with our actions.

Thank you for your concern and care in this matter.

Sincerely,

Michael Collins
Coordinator of Mission and OutreachWNCC-UMC