A healthcare technology expert has attributed the failure of many hospitals in Nigeria—and globally—to the lack of emphasis on profitability, stressing that a bankrupt hospital cannot save lives.

Oliver Van Veen, a specialist in healthcare technology, highlighted the critical role of Business Intelligence (BI) in hospital management. He noted that while global health discourse often prioritises patient outcomes, coverage rates, and accessibility, few acknowledge the stark reality: a financially unsustainable hospital cannot deliver care.

“Profit is often treated as a dirty word in healthcare, yet it is fundamental.

Hospitals that cannot manage their finances effectively cannot save lives,” Van Veen said.

He observed that many healthcare facilities, whether private clinics or public hospitals, operate with what he described as “operational blindness,” relying on intuition rather than data, and paper records instead of digital intelligence.

This, he said, leads to fragile systems where revenue leakages, stock-outs, and asset mismanagement are common.

Van Veen stressed the need to integrate financial oversight with clinical operations to build lasting “Centres of Excellence.” He warned that hospitals using manual or semi-digital systems risk losing 15 to 30 per cent of revenue through unbilled procedures, inventory losses, and administrative lapses.

“When hospitals rely on paper records, there is often no audit trail. Consumables dispensed from pharmacies may never be reflected in final billing,” he explained. He recommended implementing robust Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems integrated with supply chain and billing processes to track consumables, reduce leakages, and improve financial oversight.

He also flagged the underutilisation of expensive medical equipment as a major issue. Poor scheduling, inadequate maintenance tracking, and staffing gaps mean high-cost machines often operate far below capacity. Business Intelligence tools, Van Veen said, can provide real-time data on asset performance, revenue per hour, and maintenance schedules, enabling hospitals to optimise returns on investment.

Data-driven dashboards, he added, support predictive decision-making by analysing patient flow, drug consumption patterns, and admission trends. This allows hospitals to anticipate shortages, adjust staffing levels, and respond proactively to seasonal health demands rather than reacting to crises.

Van Veen concluded that financially efficient, data-driven hospitals are better positioned to retain skilled personnel, maintain quality standards, and invest in modern infrastructure.

“Data is not just numbers on a screen. It is central to the survival of the hospital. To care effectively for patients, we must first ensure that the institution itself is financially healthy,” he said.

This perspective underscores a growing call for Nigerian healthcare institutions to embrace Business Intelligence and digital tools as essential components of operational and clinical excellence.