- We’re forced to pay for watching DSTV, others, patients allege
The Ughelli Central Hospital in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State is currently embroiled in corruption allegations, as patients continue to lament what they have termed “geometric and unsolicited hike” in medical charges.
Investigations revealed that the Zonal Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Moses Eyovwerhuvwu, had allegedly been responsible for the collection of illegal fees at the hospital.
An impeccable source disclosed to our correspondent that in spite of the fact that the Delta State Government’s free maternal health care for pregnant women and children, between zero to five years of age, was ongoing, nurses at the various wards “indirectly” charged their patients some fees before treatment.
The source said she was taken aback, when she was asked to pay for cable television and Vijumilk when she wanted her 10-month old daughter discharged from the hospital.
“I was surprised at the children’s ward when I wanted to discharge my little daughter of 10 months old, and I was told to pay for cable Television and Vijumilk,” she alleged.
She added that though the demand was strange and funny, she was forced to pay the fees because the nurses in the hospital said they were compulsory.
She noted that hundreds of nursing mothers were being made to go through this harrowing experience everyday, describing the zonal medical director as “the worst” ever since the hospital started operations.
Further findings revealed that in early January 2017, there was an alleged geometric increase in the prices of patient medical record card, also known in the medical parlance as OPD card from N20 to N100.
This was grudgingly accepted by patients, who, though pained, had no option. But as if that was not enough, towards the end of January 2017, the price of OPD card was increased to N200.
Also, as part of the alleged corruption going on in the hospital, another close source revealed that after official hours, patients now pay up to N300 for card and on Saturdays and Sundays, patients pay as high as N400 for the collection of card.
“For instance, if a patient desires to see a doctor, he or she obtains a card, and depending on the patient’s case, he or she pays for IGR at the laboratory, at the pharmacy, at the recording department and even at the morgue. There is nowhere visited that IGR is not collected,” the source added.
