HOSPITAL ADMISSION ‘BY FORCE, BY FIRE’!

THE TRICK BY TOP PRIVATE HOSPITALS TO MAKE MORE MONEY OFF NIGERIANS

Martins, our young medical doctor counted himself very lucky to have been employed as soon as he returned home after youth service.  And it wasn’t just an ’employment’ as far as he was concerned.

It has been his dream and that of his colleagues to work in a top private medical facility to boost his CV and meet the top brass in the society.

And his new employer does have top brass as their patients – lots of movers and shakers who could be approached privately to help him set up his own clinic.

He did not think he could work in a government hospital equipped with obsolete equipment like the teaching hospital he just came through in medical school. Neither did he plan on saying ‘yessir’ to any hospital owner for too long.

So our young doctor was indeed happy and thanked God that he landed his first job in this high-brow hospital. The hospital rooms, corridors and surroundings felt rich and smooth, reminding him of his experience with his parents when he was a young boy and he would follow them on their annual medicals in Portland Hospital in Central London. The place also smelt like this wasn’t Lagos.

It wasn’t as if the pay was out of this world; but it was definitely better than that of his childhood friend and roommate Tony, who was in one of the general hospitals and was always looking for opportunity to do private practice or PP to augment his take home.

Martins did wonder once in a while if it was that easy to bill these rich patients and whether they do complain about their bills but he left that to the administration people and the big Ogas to worry about.

Then one day, one very big patient was referred to him to take care of. This was his first high society patient – the man’s name was always in the newspapers and known to be very wealthy. In fact, Martins was surprised such a man consulted with doctors in Nigeria. He could fly with his private jet to London,  Dubai or Cape Town to see his foreign doctors and return same day if he had to.

Dr. Martins saw the man, was very open and friendly with him, prescribed some drugs and the big man left. During the consultation, the hospital’s medical director had strolled in just to make sure the man was in good hands and was okay being treated by a young doctor, as his regular consultant was engaged elsewhere.

An hour later, MD puts her head into Martin’s cubicle and asked how it went. ‘It went very well, Dr. I prescribed some drugs for him and he’s gone home’, explained Tony.

‘Gone home?’, she almost exploded. ‘How come?’

‘Oh, it was just a case of indigestion and he just needed something to clear his system’, said the innocent young doctor.

MD sat down in front of her young employee doctor and delivered her lecture. ‘How do you think we pay your salary? Whatever they come here for, you admit them. If he refuses, call his wife. She will come and convince him to stay. All those private rooms like hotel rooms with flat screen satellite tv and internet connection – why do you think they are that cosy? So that they enjoy their stay here and don’t complain paying for it’.

Dr. Martins’ dream ended that month.

He quit work and went back to the university to study more.

Would things have changed when he returns with a doctorate in something? Or will he be on the train with others who think it’s greener elsewhere?

But do you blame him? The entire healthcare system is in a sorry state. Some hospitals and doctors have been fingered as culprits in the sorry state of affairs.

We have expired drugs being dispensed from some registered hospitals and clinics as alleged by some patients. Some doctors only send patients to diagnostic centres where they have stakes or they get paid a percentage of the cost of tests, even when results from such test centres cannot be trusted.

We are where we are because nobody cares!

Image credit: stethoscope.com