Nigerians Abandon Private Hospitals For Public Health Centres

Posted on: Mon 31-10-2016

The harsh economic recession in the country has forced many people to withdraw from attending private hospitals and shift to seeking medical services in the public healthcare facilities which, hitherto, were not well patronised. SOLOMON AYADO writes

Just as the current economic recession has forced many families to resort to birth control, thesame way many Nigerians are no longer attending private hospitals to seek medical attention. They have changed their patronage to public health facilities and/or government owned medical centres that in the recent past, were not very much attended.

The resolve of many Nigerians to withdraw their attendance of private hospitals is subject to the present harsh economic condition.The people have alleged there is rise in the cost of drugs and other charges. Even as the federal government has assured that it will boost the economy and enhance economic stability in the country, it is still not indicative hence the groan of some private health experts.

The crash in the economy has made life absolutely difficult for both the rich and poor. While a lot of persons have cut down their lavish lifestyles, many people are presently more concerned in giving priority attention to meeting their basic needs. Like in the past when the economy was stable, there was means of livelihood and people could easily and openly display their uncontrollable high level of extravagancy.

Now, the difficulties faced by people in enhancing their welfare has suddenly overwhelmed the indulgence in exorbitant ways of living. Many Nigerians have parked their vehicles due to inadequate funds to maintain them. Several unwinding spots are becoming deserted, just as many may soon be shut down due to lack of funds to run them. As the recession has continued to take its toll on businesses with hospitals inclusive, private health facilities in the country are definitely not having a good time.

Although the administration of President Mohammadu Buhari has consistently assured that the recession will not last, saying the federal government was evolving proactive measures to stabilising the economy. What is, however, the concern of many is whether the government can match words with action and contend the financial crisis to improve healthcare delivery to foster rapid development in the sector.

Investigations have shown that healthcare services offered in private hospitals are more expensive comparable to that being provided in the public outfits.Because of this discrepancy and with the high level of hardsh

ip, many people can no longer seek healthcare services in private hospitals.Alternatively, some persons have resorted to traditional medicine due to the high cost of drugs.

It further revealed that private hospital owners have also decried reduction in the rate of prenatal and postnatal attendance. Of course, birth control helps families to succeed. Allowing to have children when planned leads to better ways of affordable living, education, more job opportunities, and economic security. In fact, studies have shown that families get more stable economically when there is birth control where everyone can participate in the workforce.

It was gathered from reports that about 30 per cent of the people in developing countries are missing out on ensuring proper family planning.They want to enjoy good living but aren’t taking into cognizance the economic dwindles.The World Health Organisation (WHO) has over time reaffirmed the need for birth control to enhance economic stability.

In most of the states in the country, it was found that the economic recession affecting the nation, coupled with shortage of foreign exchange, is taking its toll on the Nigeria’s health sector with hospitals running out of drugs, even as there is low turn out of patients. Also, a survey conducted in the FCT and other areas confirmed that there is reduction in the attendance of private hospitals. Rather, a sharp rise in the patronage of public hospitals has come to bear.

“It is true that families are no longer patronizing private hospitals because of the hard economic situation. People are no longer eager to suffer unnecessarily. Like me and my husband, we resorted to public hospital and we have changed our family Doctor. We have also taken to birth control to be able to ease out the stress. School fees of children is very high and the struggle to provide food and cater for other needs is another big issue. People are careful but I believe it is really a difficult moment for hospitals.”

Mrs Cynthia Okon, a teacher who has four children, was one of the respondents who spoke to LEADERSHIP Weekend in Abuja. According to her, it has become imperative for families to think outside the box, cut down demands to match the contending harsh economic situation. She said attending public hospitals for medical treatment can be cost effective and affordable too.

While the views of Okon that public hospitals offer affordable charges that can make the people to cope better with the ongoing economic hardship, some members of the public have disagreed with the position, saying despite the high charges experienced in private hospitals, they outfits are more organized and quite efficient in handling patients.

“I will agree that many people are going to public hospitals nowadays because of the low charges there. But nothing can change me and my family to remove from the private hospital which we have been attending for decades. The money is not the problem but the services offered in the private hospitals are more organized and the personnel in them have esteemed regards for patients. Unlike in public hospitals where it is more of an all-comer affair, the environment is not conducive and the attitude of the staff is not always appreciative,” says Mr Ojo Tunde.

Tunde is a businessman who deals in building construction materials. He was met in Gwarimpa area of Abuja, the nation’s capital. He is optimistic that at the moment, the patronage of private hospitals have declined. But he was very resolute that public hospitals must improve in training and retraining of its personnel to acquire advanced techniques of human relations.

The Chief Medical Director of Sabo-Oke Medical Centre in Ilorin, Dr Abideen Ola confirmed that his hospital has witnessed sharp reduction in the enrollment of patients due to the economic crisis. He said most hospitals have become charity homes because of the inability of patients to pay hospital bills.According to Ola, most patients were also finding it difficult to buy prescribed drugs as a result of the poor state of their pockets.

Also, the Chief Medical Director, Ilorin General Hospital, Dr Abdulfatai Olokoba , confirmed that more people were attending public hospitals nowadays. He, however, said non availability of foreign exchange in the country was responsible for astronomical increase in the cost of drugs in the country which has forced many hospitals especially the private ones to high the charges of offering health services. Olokoba said due to shortage of foreign exchange which had drastically affected importation of drugs ,those importing the products could not bring in the needed quantity, forcing the price of drugs and other consumables to double up.

“Aside from recession, even as many people have changed from private to public hospitals, we had record of patients who will abscond owing to non-availability of funds which is a natural situation in hospitals. Hospital charges in state owned hospitals have not been increased in the last 10 years.But because there is recession globally, and Nigeria has no foreign exchange, the cost of accessing health care in Nigeria has gone up,” he stated.

The dwindling economy has affected turn out of patients in private hospitals in areas of Adamawa state. Dr Abdul Oke is the Medical Director of Galbose Hospitals and Maternity, a private medical facility in the state. According to him, the dwindling economy has hampered patronage of the private health facility as only handful of pregnant women attend antenatal services and that many were left at the mercy of God due to financial constraints.

Oke explained that “in the past, the health outfit used to witnessed influx of patients especially on Mondays with daily average of 30 to 40 patients but now, he said they could only consults 10-15 patients daily.” He added that many at times, patients would be treated to save life on credit but to recover the medical bill would be a problem.

Experts say attendance of private hospitals by patients have drastically reduced due to the dwindling economy but that the situation will not afford any opportunity for the health outfits to totally collapse and or be shut down.

The Chairman of Association of Private Medical Practitioners in Kebbi State, Dr. Abdulrahman Aliyu who is founder of Godiya Private Hospital in Birnin Kebbi, Dr. Abdulrahman Aliyu stated that the present economic situation of the country has really forced reduction in the seek for medicare especially in the private owned hospitals.He said that his private hospital has witnessed reduction in the number of patients that come for treatment.

“What I can say is that the people who come to hospital for treatment has drastically reduced, people tend to forget about health and look after their stomach . But in terms of birth control generally, it is very acknowledging even before recession. Let me give you an example, there is this Jadel, a family planing device we use to insert for women on the armpit but from the first quarter of every month, I do insert about 7 but to my surprise, I only inserted one this time . May be it is the cost because we charge N1, 500 but you can see it is not expensive for an average couple. And of course the ability of couples to take care of their kids is forcing them to adopt less expensive family planning methods,”Aliyu stated.

For Dr M. Harris, as far as he is concerned, changing attendance from private to public hospitals, as well as birth control, has nothing to do with economic recession. The gynecologist said despite the present hash economy, those who desire to have better and well offered services in the private hospitals will continue to do so.

On birth control, he maintained that those who want to bear children will not stop because of the economy, most especially the early married couples. He insisted that those who are yet to be blessed by God with the fruit of the womb will also c ontinue to search for it till when God will answer their prayers. According to him, the recession have not very much affected the birth ratio, rather, the cost of drugs and other medical services.

At the moment, with the proceeding economic recession, the people are faced with varied financial challenges and it is factual that many persons have withdrawn their attendance to private hospitals to government owned health facilities. It is however, left to be seen whether the recession will soon end or private hospitals will start to collapse. Analysts have posited that government must not fail in its responsibility to provide adequate healthcare service delivery to the generality of the people.

Source:

By: Solomon Ayado

The Leadership News

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