The management of the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Lagos, has banned the private sourcing of surgical equipment by patients for the purpose of treating them.

 

It also asked patients to pay directly into the hospital’s bank account rather than to its officials for the use of any equipment in the course of their surgery.

 

The management took the decision following a report published in the July 19, 2014 edition of Saturday PUNCH that “Patients pay doctors to use surgical equipment at Igbobi Hospital.”

 

The report had stated that patients requiring the use of the surgical drilling machine were required to pay N35,000 for the rent of the equipment and that some were forced to pay the amount to doctors handling their cases.

 

It was also reported that the patients provided for their own comfort as some of them brought rechargeable table fans to complement the ceiling fans in the wards.

 

However, in a rejoinder published in the September 27, 2014 edition of Saturday PUNCH, the Chairman of Board of the hospital, Gbola Adetunji, stated that the hospital had investigated the report and had made some changes in the hospital.

 

Adetunji stated, “The hospital uses drilling machines for many surgeries including hip and knee replacement. Occasionally, however, the hospital hires from a private vendor when the power tools in the hospital break down, a decision taken to avoid total breakdown of services.

 

“The management operating policy is that all payments should be made into the hospital accounts. Occasionally but against the hospital’s policy, patients and their relations make private arrangements with external vendors usually for the sum of N35, 000 for the use of power tools. Those vendors ordinarily supply the hospital surgical implants.

 

“The hospital provides ceiling fans in all the wards. However, some patients bring in rechargeable fans to augment the existing ones for their own convenience. The hospital continues to rehabilitate and make our wards conducive for our patients.”

 

While expressing an assurance that the hospital would continue to provide robust services to its patients, Adetunji said all private sourcing of equipment had been banned.

 

Source:

Punch