The failure of the health care system in Nigeria has been talked about so much it has become a cliche.
From my first pregnancy, I have been a team 'private hospital' as I knew I couldn't deal with the unnecessary stress visiting a public hospital brought ;I could not deal with the curt and brusque manner of the nurses, the endless wait and the numerous donations required for pregnant women before delivery.
I chose a good private hospital based on recommendation and though their services were commendable, it came at an exorbitant price.
Recently, I noticed that my blood pressure was on the high side coupled with incessant and severe headaches, so I visited the hospital for a comprehensive test. By the time I paid for consultation, did urine analysis, blood test, electrolyte, cholesterol level, malaria and typhoid test, I had exceeded my budget.
When it was time to get my drugs from the dispensary, I opted to pay for the blood pressure drugs alone as the money on me would not cover the ones prescribed for malaria and typhoid. I paid one thousand five hundred naira for a sachet (ten tiny tablets).
Ten days later, I visited the pharmacy to refill my prescription and I was beyond shocked when the same drug was sold for fifty naira only.
What!!! I couldn't believe the difference between the two prices!!
Ten days later, I visited the pharmacy to refill my prescription and I was beyond shocked when the same drug was sold for fifty naira only.
What!!! I couldn't believe the difference between the two prices!!
It was very wicked and inconsiderate of them to charge such an amount for a single medication.
The health system in Nigeria just sucks!!!
The health system in Nigeria just sucks!!!
Especially Hmo..... People complain alot about PH giving them paracetamol for malaria.
ReplyDeleteBut I have been lucky sha, was once admitted and was treated without paying kobo. Maybe the hospital matters too.
You shouldn't pay if you are using your HMo. With NHIS, you pay just 10% of the cost.
DeleteYou shouldn't pay using HMO. Depends on your HMO. It doesn't cover some drugs and test.
DeleteMy best friend has always loved d good life, Reddinton Hospital and all those kinda up class lifestyle, wen I got pregnant, he gave me money to go register there, c cash, for my mind ( am I mad) pikin no b ur own Mr nice guy. Na so I go normal hospital close by but miscarried d pregnancy
Delete2nd one , I waka enter Airforce hospital, d Orderliness there alone, top notch, reasonably money compared to where he insisted I shd register, was gisting with a wannabe “ I get money” mumu chick I know, d next she screamed. Oh Na PUBLIC HOSPITAL 😂, I do Lagoon 🤣. In my mind , this girl u don try plenty things to prove u belong but u r still below per Biko ! Reddinton money and drugs can rent u a decent home.
Most important thing is safety of mother and child. Leave big big names and brand. Na mugu fall mugu chop
My dear when you go to cheap places you will get cheap services, and when you go to expensive places you will get expensive services. Eko Hotel and suites is not for everyone, but for those that can afford it and same goes to Reddington Hospital it's not for everyone but for those that love the good life and can afford it. My dear branding is good.
DeleteAir Force hospital Lagos is so good.i highly recommend it from my sister experience
Deletewhich of the airforce hospital . Is it the one at PWD
DeleteLa Donna God bless u. MichooHay u missed the point. She cld have gone there cos it was fully paid but she opted to somewhere else, most pple have died in same private hospitals, like she said which made so much sense, the mother and child safety is paramount
DeleteThe mother and child safety is paramount no doubt, and of course Reddington hospital ensures that in fact it is their topmost priority. We should also look at the mortality rates compared to other hospitals.
DeleteIf someone gives you an all weekend expense paid relaxation at Eko Hotel will you refuse? of course it's a choice because you can as well get a luxury apartment elsewhere with swimming pool and intercontinental dishes at lower price in Lagos isn't it, but there is a choice to go for a brand, ambiance, services, professionalism, technological facilities and environment and that what it is like with Reddington.
When it comes to health and expenses people tends to trivialize but forgets that health is wealth and the environment you receive them are also very important.
Madam d woman seem comfortable with her choice, let it rest 🖤
DeleteStory of my life.
ReplyDeleteHmmmmm...what a constructive write up..
ReplyDeleteWell,it's not a gain saying again that our health system is been jeopardize..what a pity
What language did you use to write your second paragraph huncle? Write pidgin and Yoruba nau. Ahan.
DeleteStella, check your heading again.. LMAO 😀😀. Abeg don't post this particular comment
ReplyDeleteNa today??? Private hospitals can exaggerate patient's conditions Eeh!!
ReplyDeleteMe I usually look at the file.
ReplyDeleteIf I can't I ask what is wrong and go and buy outside.
Hubby is on a drug and it costs 48k from the hospital.....monthly ooo. The specialist was so good to us that she gave us the contact of the distributor that sells 21k. Same hospital, another drug 1 pack is 4k, at a bug pharmacy 1400
ReplyDeleteThe hospital I use has gone digital, they don't even show you your file. Even when you conduct tests, the result will be forwarded straight to the doctor. You only get a print out when you request for one.
DeleteSame with my hospital in portharcourt. After seeing the doctor, you are guving a slip of paper with numbers against what you are to do next. Me i no dey ask again,as far as its company paying no wahala. Hubby's company covers any medical cost provider its in Nigeria. Could remember when my babies where in incubators for 2weeks. A nurse was seriously pitying me,when the other told na company now. She now said okay.
DeleteCould remember once,forgto sign after treatment and drugs and went home. So was called end of month by the hospital to come sign,cos they need to send the bill. My sister i saw 14700. For malaria medicine, paracetamol and cough syrup. I weak
Went for an evacuation at one of these private hospitals, under HMO tho, when I was asked to sign, I saw 100k on it. I was like abortion of how much??? Well, I learnt the HMO companies go to the hospitals to audit the accounts. I guess that is why they hike the price so when they negotiate, it still drops to a reasonable amount.
DeletePrime PH is same way too now. You don't see anything everything is electronically done there.
DeleteI use them. In 2012 when I had placenta abruption, though it cost us so much I don't regret it one bit cos today we are both alive with no health complications and a nice healed scar. All thanks to God, qualified heads, hands and the rapid response on that scary Sunday morning at 6am. Even when I reacted as an asthmatic patient had very high blood pressure levels. they knew what to do to stabilize me.
I'm pregnant again and using them.
My prayer for everyone is God gives us all money and good health.my experience when I had that issue and when my dad had fatal accident as shown me that a lot of death in nigerNi today can be prevented if there is love, accurate diagnosis and fast treatment.
l Went to UPTH the first day and I ran.
If you want to enjoy medical care, use a HMO or register with NHIS. Then select the best hospital in town as your hospital of choice.
ReplyDeleteBefore registering with one, I was scared of going to the hospital because the hospital I use is EXPENSIVE. Now with a HMO plan, I just stroll in and don't pay a dime.
Same here queen jay
DeleteMy friend delivery sef, she didn't pay a dime.
Hmo is good with a good hospital.
@Queen Jay
DeletePlease which city and which HMO?
Pls what is HMO?
DeleteHMO is health maintance organization. It's an insurance which takes care of your health and stands as an intermediary between you and the hospital. The hmo provides you with different health plans to suite your health needs with premium on the plan. The plans are also banned according to the different hospitals in Lagos and different states.
DeleteGood for you,I guess it depends on your plan cos they are alot of things Hmo doesn't cover.
DeleteAnon if you have money and need a good Hmo, go for Liberty Blue, Axa mansard, Avon.
Wow God bless u Unknown, am sure is only for working class
DeleteThanks Mrs. D
ReplyDeleteI've delivered both in Nigeria and in a western country. Healthcare in Nigeria lacks organization but is very cheap
compared to the western country. This may come as a surprise. Yes, western countries are very costly even with the
health insurance for most of the workers where they have co-pay systems. I always like to pay cash and not leave any
debt outstanding.
What Naija lacks is organization. The doctors in the teaching hospitals/govt. hospitals are more interested in their
private outfits so they pay little or no attention to their work. But still I prefer teaching hospitals to private which
is a one man show without any regulation. if the doctor likes, he can close ya tohtoh with stitches 😯😯and when you complain,
he will reopen it and change every record that ever existed. One good employee of a private once told me their price (medications) and
advised me to buy it elsewhere and of course -1000% increase. Again when they present brand medications e.g. panadol, mbanu, ask for the
generic ones e.g. paracetamol. Ahaaaa, Those brand ones are the costly ones and those are the ones the fakers target for they make more
money from them. If you are pregnant, please register in at least two hospitals, at least one government or better if both are so.
If it becomes emergency, go to the nearest and if private, get out as soon as you can to the government one. If it is not emergency, go
to the government. There, at least two or more doctors will see you and their judgment is not beclouded by "the money the institution will
make as it does not enter their pockets".
Of course, I don yarn una about the private hospital doctor wey wan play guitar with my tohtoh until I threatened to scream and he began to
apologize. My Naija Sisis make una play safe o, we Nigerian women are endangered species in these hospitals. But for those Naija girls wey
them tohtohs na highway where "robbers" shoot(off), whosai, na private hospitals and quacks be them collaborators.
Asua m oyinbo 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
Thank you anonymous 13.44, I had my baby in the abroad and did circumcision which when converted was about 80k.
DeleteWho go pay 80k for circumcision in Nigeria.
During one of my antenatal visits when I was pregnant, I complained of joint pains. I was given my usual antenatal drugs (which they charge N500 weekly) plus a card of paracetamol and another pain relief drug (I think it's pink color), guess what? My bill was N1,500. I was like, how? Is it one card of paracetamol that is N50 and this tablet that made up the extra N1000?
ReplyDeleteI said they should take the paracetamol that I'll buy it on my way.. They were like, "no madam this other drug is expensive..pregnancy drugs are expensive" bla bla. I said I don't want! As I was changing it for them, they now said I should pay 1k. Imagine if I hadn't said anything. They're very good there though that's why I just managed the high cost of everything like that. I dont have grace for public hospitals.
Hospitals got lots of staff to pay,facilities, etc, if they go lower, they go bankrupt, some are fair but overall, they won't charge same as a pharmacy with few workers.
ReplyDeleteI devised a means to beat them at their game. After the doctor has prescribed drugs, I just open my file, take a snap of the drugs written for prescription with my phone. Drop the file and head for the nearest pharmacy.
Delete@14:21
DeleteYou could access your file because of the jungle system we are talking about.
Have you also thought about another patient being able to access your file, take
a snap and distribute it, e.g. supposing you get hiv, or ever treated an sti?
In countries where healthcare systems are organized, no pharmacy will even look at a
prescription on your phone or they will like to call the doctor and confirm.
Most times, the doctors send the prescriptions straight to the pharmacies and you are just
to walk in and take your medications.
What of your consultation fee.
DeleteWith HMO you're given the cheapest medicine instead of the strongest medicine for the ailment. Most times simple illnesses linger for long because the hospital has been mandated by HMO not to exceed a certain amount.
ReplyDeleteVery true.
DeleteYou made a lot of sense, I didn't know about this.
DeleteNo be today nah. The routine drugs they give in hospitals to pregnant women costs between 1500-2000. But go to a pharmacy, the same drug in the same quantity is between 100-150 naira only. But what can we do, we have to keep going especially if you are expecting.
ReplyDeleteShebi you said the private hospital is good? So, what exactly are you complaining about? Madam, a private enterprise (and yes, it's a business) cannot charge you the same fees as one funded/owned/run by government. Where your complaint would have made sense is if you said one greedy thief of a staff member hiked the price of something to put money in his/her own pocket and steal from the clinic (it happens). Or if you didn't get what you paid for.
ReplyDeleteMy dear, you cannot expect for instance, Zapphaire to charge you the same thing your aunt in the village will charge you for organising your event, you hear? Not everyone can afford Ms Bucknor, she won't kill you if you go elsewhere.
If the quality of service is not up to the expected standard or you can't afford it, talk. But you cannot tell a private business what to charge. A wig in Balogun market cannot cost the same as one you commissioned from a private wig-maker. But folk don't whine. Yet, people complain about healthcare delivery, even when it is good. You can't with one mouth, say they're good yet complain. They didn't ruin Nigerian healthcare system. And their staff don't use Hippocratic oath to run their own households or buy anything in the market, you hear? No vex.
It's actually Mrs obruthe dear
DeleteWe know it is just that some are not that good yet still charge exorbitantly, others take it too far charging too much. Yet there are the good ones where the service is commensurate with what is being charged.
DeleteFemi, Mrs Obruthe is also Ms Bucknor. In a bid to sound whip smart, you've come across as petty and slightly ignorant. Go and check when/why people use Ms as title.
DeleteI still use my maiden name (for personal reasons) & whenever I do, "Ms" is the title I use.
I am amazed at how careless Nigerians are with their health. If it's not self-diagnosis you're doing, it's self-medication. Now, I'm reading people saying they don't even ask for their records "cos a company is paying". Y'all are very reckless! You think cost is the issue; some of you are talking as if it's pepper you're pricing in the market. You don't realise your problem is more serious. Fgs if you don't see your records, how do you know what you're being treated for? And if you don't know what you're being treated for, how do you know if you're receiving the right medication? How will you know if someone makes a mistake?
DeleteAnon 19:54 What is your estimation of exorbitant, how do you gauge? If a hospital isn't good, just don't go there.
Delete@14:43 1000likes
ReplyDeleteMsschteew! What are you saying? Are private hospitals not business enterprises? Do you expect them to pay their staff with thank you?
ReplyDeleteStandard healthcare is expensive anywhere in the world. Someone is paying the bill, whether its the govt or HMO. Your final bill is not just the cost of drugs. It includes your consultation fee and nursing care.
Nigerians always whine about the cost of treatment, but don't want to pay for good healthcare.
My sister was admitted last week in one private hospital cos kidney stone was discovered in her kidney,the doctor prescribed antibiotics to help flush it out.she was charged 160 thousand for 8 packets of nameless antibiotics drugs and 5 days in the hospital.The annoying thing about this private hospitals is, when prescribing they will never let patients know the name of drugs prescribed so that they will not be suspicious they are being extorted
ReplyDeleteNo, most times is so you don't abuse the drugs. Nigeria is not like abroad where you can't buy drugs without doctor's prescription.
DeleteI pity people who are not enlightened when it comes to health and medicine. I have had experiences where I had to educated pharmacist about meds, most don't even know what drugs intereaction means.
Pls let's be careful with our health, like save a live doc would say "Health is LIFE"
Thank you OSNAC!! You know the deal. Quality medication and health service is not CHEAP people.
DeleteYour sister was admitted for 5 days, of course she will pay for bedspace and utilities na, what do you expect?
Private hospitals are not NGOs and so they have a business to sustain.
You go to the hospital to complain of headache and malaria and then want to pay 500 naira, how?? What of consultation fee? Abi dem no go chop pay salaries too?
Poster I believe they charge with consultation that's why it was that expensive.
ReplyDeleteWhich health system, there is no health system here. Everyone is just doing their own thing. Those elected to fix it selfishly go abroad to selfishly fix their own health with state funds and the rest of the people can keep suffering for all they care.
ReplyDeleteThe same way they ignore our educational system and send their own kids abroad.
DeleteHEALTH IS VERY EXPENSIVE!!! IF YOU CAN GET GOOD SERVICES PLEASE PAY FOR IT. THANK YOU VERY CAREFULLY.
ReplyDeleteThank you Lord for good health. If humans were You, we would have to pay for the air we breathe.
DeletePlease, you people should not joke with your health, any drug given by any hospital come from a very good source, we have a lot of counterfeit drugs in circulation.
ReplyDeleteI'm doing a study on anticancer drugs and we discover there are so many counterfeit anticancer drugs in the market can you imagine. A sickness as deadly as cancer some people are still selling fake and we expect symptoms to subside it's impossible. Please if you can afford it get your drugs from the hospital, the source can easily be traced not all this pharmacy. One of my professors nearly lost her son to sulfonamide a whole professor of pharmacy o that should recognize a fake drug when she sees it not to now talk of someone that knows nothing about drugs. This fakes drugs look exactly like the mimicked drug, you can hardly see any difference.
Please let's be careful health is wealth.
Really sad.The menace of fake drug is truly underreported in Nigeria. Stay safe, if you can access good health care in a private hospital, pay for it. Delivery on US costs from $4000 - $20,000 depending on state, hospital and delivery method/case, that is how much in Naira.
Delete