I own a hospital in Southwest- (not Osun state Nigeria ...lol). I currently have about 17 patients on my ward each of whom I have admitted at several occasions through emergency. None of these patients has paid upto 30% of his/her bill. Some of them have stayed upto 7 weeks on the ward. I admitted and attended to them based on the fact that their conditions were life-threatening as at the time they came. I made their bill known to them - and they signed before they were treated. But there is a common trend, as soon as they felt relief and became stable they pleaded for their bills to be reduced - this I vehemently refused.

About 4 weeks ago a woman was rushed in with Eclampsia having just convulsed while pregnant and she was unconscious. I promptly took her straight to the theatre without collecting a dime though i had informed the relatives of the charges - #120,000 for her operation and medications. They signed and I carried out the surgery succesfully. Mother and baby survived. Within the following 6-days they paid a total sum of #12,000 and they began pleading to go home for the child's christening ceremony. I looked at them with disdain. Till now, they have only managed to pay a total sum of #14,000.

Another man who was managed for strangulated hernia has only paid 20,000 out of 75,000 bill. And the list goes on. Their failure to pay has made it difficult for the hospital to replace consumables and medications needed to manage other people's condition.
In the early hours of today 1:30am, a woman was rushed into the hospital following delivery at the referrral center. Blood had refused to stop gushing out. I did a quick assesment and realised she would need more materials than the hospital pharmacy currently had in store. I could have my staff get from a nearby pharmacy too. However, the husband said he had no money on him and so did the numerous relatives that accompanied. It was indeed a familiar pattern. I decided to let them go. I referred her to a government hospital. Ofcourse they pleaded for me to help but there was nothing I could do. Few minutes after they left - just few metres from my hospital gate, she collapsed. She had lost a lot of blood. I rushed there and rigorously tried resuscitating her right there outside the hospital 2am early morning, but all efforts proved abortive. A young woman of 28years had just died after having her first baby. Screams, wails, cries ensued. I felt bad - this is not why i became a doctor. But her blood is not on my hands.

Her blood is on the hands and heads of all the patients on the ward who can afford to pay but refused to - on the grounds that - "What will they do?. Her blood is on the hands and heads of the government officials past and present who have made it difficult and impossible for workers to get paid for their work. But the government officials are not the target of this my narrat. It is aimed at those who take hospital healthcare and medical doctors for granted. Those (including myself) who emphasise that doctors should not put money first before treating emergency conditions. In emergency cases, relatives would go to any length through any struggle to get money. As soon as the situation becomes calm, they relax and then they refuse to pay.

Last year a distant relative of mine was delivered of her baby via Caesearian section (in a hospital in Lagos- not mine). They were billed #180,000 which they accepted before the operation. After the surgery, her husband called me and asked how much I charge and i told him. He then began pleading with the management of the said hospital to review his bill. They declined. The husband being who he is, paid #120,000 and absconded with his wife and his newly born son. How he did this, I do not know, but i know that at the christening ceremony a week later, he had two cows slaughtered to celebrate the birth of his first son.

Many times we complain of doctors who ask for charges before treating patients but no one has ever bothered to ask the doctors why they do? Doctors are humans too, we need to pay bills. This is our trade, our profession, our means of livelihood. We have needs too. We can not go to the market place with the ID showing that we're doctors and hope to get food items on credit. We need to pay our children's school fees, we need clothes , shelter etc just as you. Everywhere in the world healthcare is expensive, both services and materials are exepensive. Well we understand that you may not have money. The government should find a way. The government should find a way/policy that ensures that we get our money back after we have rendered our service. In the UK there is the National Health Scheme, in the United states they have health insurance schemes too in addition to Medicare, Medicaid. In Nigeria we have the barely effective, poorly regulated and massively corrupt National Health Insurance Scheme.

Well i have decided to change the modus operandi of my institution. The previous one has not benefitted anybody. Henceforth if any one comes to my emergency room without a dime. I will not attend to. If such a person dies, the blood is not on my hands, its on the hands of those who have received treatment in the past and failed to pay afterwards.

Its really painful...

Na wa oo.

E no easy anywhere.

Chief, I hail ur good efforts tho.

Well..uve said d truth...buh is just...piple dnt always act d same way..deres still gonna b a group of rich guys who wud prolly wanna pay more...dose who genuinly value deir health..money could also come frm dere

Jesus weep

If accumulating wealth is what you are looking for after studying medicine then u are in for a ride. A medical degree can only make u sufficient but not rich.

well said but your last paragraph is what I would would want to plead with you on behalf of the prospective broke emergency patient.

Well i have decided to change the modus operandi of my institution. The previous one has not benefitted anybody. Henceforth if any one comes to my emergency room without a dime. I will not attend to.

if your excuse in future will continue to be "their blood is not on my hands", then you would be guilty at some point. please try as much as possible to do everything within your capabilities and the Lord will surely reward you...

Ok Wailers, blame Buhari for this.
Buhari is the cause, Buhari's fault.

But when an hospital refuses to allow a patient who has not paid fully to go home..some mofos will complain and abuse the hospitals...hospitals are not charities..God help us

It was for the above reasons I had to modify my post on another thread where a pregnant woman died outside the hospital.

It's actually very pathetic.

THIS LAND IS NOT FOR SALE....

BEWARE OF 419 AND MY SON KAMORUDEEN, OMO JATIJATI!!!!

Hmmmm

Speechless

The True Dilemma of a Nigerian Medical Practitioner!

I dont blame you though, the govt is nt helping matters too. Many of the patients too can actually foot their bills but wont once they feel ok thereby depriving others of the benefits. May God help us

Its quite disheartening, patients can be terrible and now they'll cause problems for those who actually needs such help

I still join to blame the government. Both past and present. NHIS is long dead and buried.

Many people don't even know or understand what NHIS stands for.

This is really pathetic.

No health insurance scheme. Signs of a failed State

This is quite terrible!.

Nigerians are particularly not-conscious when it comes to matters relating to their health!.
I used to know a woman who wouldn't visit a hospital on the pretense of her herbs being more effective than the so-called 'white chalks' in hospitals. Not until twas too late did she change and blamed her not going to a hospital on money-issues.
From my experience so far, the average Nigerian is not health-conscious, they do not consider the value of and do not in anyway appreciate the roles of hospitals.
They'd rather rely on the so-called herb or a miracle(often times their pastor's anointing oil and/or handkerchief) as a substitute and an excuse to not visit the hospital.

When they finally visit one, the services is not being appreciated bcoz in most cases, they're being forced or cajouled to get admitted.

I see perpetrators of these acts as just being myopic...who do not think of tomorrow as anything can occur out of the blue that might make them/loved ones rushed to the hospital due to an emergency. If they instead visit another hospital, Lord knows it could be too long a distance to survive such impromptu emergency and end up losing their lives as a result.

At op, leave them to the master Judge to decide on the case...just try as much as possible to keep doing good.
The end-result is always worth it.

Sometimes I have a rethink about calling doctors heartless especially when I hear they refuse to treat before payment. This issue is one of them

.May God help us as a nation

S

While letting people die because of inability to pay may be seen as inhumane, I think we need to revamp our health insurance scheme.
Haba Nigerians are wicked. Don't treat and they blame you, treat and the owe you.

I feel you Dr Kabiru

You have a right judgement. But should the latter be punished for the sins of those that came before them? What if u were not a doc n ur wife or mother fall into similar situation n u are not dere 2 hlp financially @ dat moment??

.