The Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners (ANPMP) has said that private hospitals across Nigeria are closing down due to the severe economic downturn affecting the nation.
The association also highlighted that the difficult economic conditions are driving many Nigerians to resort to self-medication, a practice that has led to cases of organ failure and, in some instances, death.
In an exclusive interview with DAILY POST in Abuja over the weekend, ANPMP Chairman Dr. Odia Festus Ihongbe noted that morgues are becoming overcrowded while hospital beds remain unoccupied.
According to him, “people come only when it becomes critical and they just want you to do magic. And some want to die in the hospital, maybe because of confusion in their families.”
Dr Odia disclosed that Nigerians now google their symptoms and buy “drugs from chemists until it gets to the terminal stage.
“Sometimes, we keep them outside and issue death certificates because if you don’t do that, they will come in and dump the body in your hospital and say they are going to look for money for burial.”
Odia further expressed concern that, due to low revenue, private hospitals are unable to afford the recently approved N70,000 minimum wage set by the federal government.
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He said, “How will the private sector pay the N70,000 minimum wage?
“Meanwhile the private sector employs 80 percent of doctors and nurses and other scientists, so we are more in number.
“If you have like eight to ten cleaners in your hospital, that’s already about N800,000. Who will pay that money?”
“We provide services to 80 percent of healthcare services in Nigeria yet the government does not show concern about developing the private sector.
“They do more lip service than giving us required attention. Whatever affects health, affects the private sector more.
“You have to provide accommodations for your workers, pay salaries like any other businesses.”
He lamented that prices of essential drugs and hospital equipment have skyrocketed due to the forex crisis.
“We buy drugs and other heavy equipment and the prices of all these things are galloping everyday.
“For instance, the oxygen machine that we used to buy for N25,000 some years ago, went to about N100,000 and we raised the alarm.
“Now the same machine is over N1.5 to N2 million. How do we survive it? These are even minor pieces of equipment.
“Now, the interest rate in banks is something else and no bank wants to help us because it’s not a ‘sharp sharp’ business”, he lamented.
He further noted that the only way the Nigerian medical system would work effectively was through the national health insurance, which according to him, collapsed 20 years ago.
He said, “Where the Nigerian medical system would have worked is through national health insurance. This has been destroyed for over 20 years.
“For over 20 years, they could only cover 4 percent of the Nigerian population. Recently they said the insurance has increased from N500 to N700, how can N700 treat a person for a whole month?
“They know the truth, but they are acting like they are ignorant. Some months ago, we said we are not treating again, then they added N400.
“You can see that there is no seriousness. Between now and December, we will stop treating them. They should go and look for how to treat their patients.
“The way Nigerians are dropping dead every day is alarming. If we have resolved as a country to reduce the population of Nigerians through negative health index, let us come out openly and say it.
“Because Nigerians can no longer access healthcare. Paracetamol that used to be N250 is now N7000. I don’t know how they want Nigerians to survive.
“Ordinary syringe of N250 is now more than N7000 per pack. We are all confused. People are just dying and mortuaries are filled up”.
On the issue of minimum wage, Odia stated that “if health insurance is working and the government is paying when they are supposed to pay, the hospital will be able to settle these bills.”
(Daily Post)
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