Nigerians to pay more for hospital bills, as teaching hospitals groan under recession

As the economic recession bites harder, Nigerians may soon pay more for medical treatments in teaching hospitals nationwide if the Committee of Chief Medical Directors (CMDs) current lobby of the Federal Ministry of Health sails through.

The rising cost of running the hospitals and slow infrastructural development due to the dwindling economy has prompted the committee to approach the Ministry of Health for an approval to increase charges on medical services.

Chairman of the Committee, Dr. Thomas Agan, in an interaction with some newsmen in Calabar yesterday, said: “The recession is affecting every thing. Beside infrastructure, electricity bill is one of the greatest challenges. We pay almost N6m monthly. And in the absence of public power supply, the generators are functioning very well.”

On current strike action by resident doctors, he said the hospitals owe resident doctors their sponsorship allowance and appealed to them to exercise some patience, saying government would take into consideration some of these things.