cold:

Don't try to take the moral high ground here. Would you subsidise the cost of every treatment going forward? His decision is surely at odds with his humane side but there comes a time when one just has to put his foot down and let the chips fall where they may.

idris4r83:
If accumulating wealth is what you are looking for after studying medicine then u are in for a ride. A medical degree can only make u sufficient but not rich.

Dharniel:
well said but your last paragraph is what I would would want to plead with you on behalf of the prospective broke emergency patient.


if your excuse in future will continue to be "their blood is not on my hands", then you would be guilty at some point. please try as much as possible to do everything within your capabilities and the Lord will surely reward you...

thesicilian:

1. True - but still doesn't work much in Nigeria. Will you say because you're a Gynaecologist, you won't treat the diabetes mellitus patient who's rushed to your emergency department by relatives wearing designers but not a single naira to pay?

2. Won't work either, with the 'God forbid' spirit that reigns supreme among Nigerians. Telling them to plan for emergency, in their ears, sounds like praying for emergencies.

julybaba:


2.)I will make it mandatory for every one that registered with my clinic to contribute every month towards emergency.

datigbogirl:



I once saw a patient who was in obstructed labour and would require emergence C/S to save the child and mother's life...even though d husband worked in MTN he said it's not the money dats d problem but he has already planned d money for naming cerrmony! Imagine!!! A child dat was not even out yet.

.

sofadj:
I own a hospital in Southwest- (not Osun state Nigeria ...lol). I currently have about 17 patients on my ward each of whom I have admitted at several occasions through emergency. None of these patients has paid upto 30% of his/her bill. Some of them have stayed upto 7 weeks on the ward. I admitted and attended to them based on the fact that their conditions were life-threatening as at the time they came. I made their bill known to them - and they signed before they were treated. But there is a common trend, as soon as they felt relief and became stable they pleaded for their bills to be reduced - this I vehemently refused.

About 4 weeks ago a woman was rushed in with Eclampsia having just convulsed while pregnant and she was unconscious. I promptly took her straight to the theatre without collecting a dime though i had informed the relatives of the charges - #120,000 for her operation and medications. They signed and I carried out the surgery succesfully. Mother and baby survived. Within the following 6-days they paid a total sum of #12,000 and they began pleading to go home for the child's christening ceremony. I looked at them with disdain. Till now, they have only managed to pay a total sum of #14,000.

Another man who was managed for strangulated hernia has only paid 20,000 out of 75,000 bill. And the list goes on. Their failure to pay has made it difficult for the hospital to replace consumables and medications needed to manage other people's condition.
In the early hours of today 1:30am, a woman was rushed into the hospital following delivery at the referrral center. Blood had refused to stop gushing out. I did a quick assesment and realised she would need more materials than the hospital pharmacy currently had in store. I could have my staff get from a nearby pharmacy too. However, the husband said he had no money on him and so did the numerous relatives that accompanied. It was indeed a familiar pattern. I decided to let them go. I referred her to a government hospital. Ofcourse they pleaded for me to help but there was nothing I could do. Few minutes after they left - just few metres from my hospital gate, she collapsed. She had lost a lot of blood. I rushed there and rigorously tried resuscitating her right there outside the hospital 2am early morning, but all efforts proved abortive. A young woman of 28years had just died after having her first baby. Screams, wails, cries ensued. I felt bad - this is not why i became a doctor. But her blood is not on my hands.

Her blood is on the hands and heads of all the patients on the ward who can afford to pay but refused to - on the grounds that - "What will they do?. Her blood is on the hands and heads of the government officials past and present who have made it difficult and impossible for workers to get paid for their work. But the government officials are not the target of this my narrat. It is aimed at those who take hospital healthcare and medical doctors for granted. Those (including myself) who emphasise that doctors should not put money first before treating emergency conditions. In emergency cases, relatives would go to any length through any struggle to get money. As soon as the situation becomes calm, they relax and then they refuse to pay.

Last year a distant relative of mine was delivered of her baby via Caesearian section (in a hospital in Lagos- not mine). They were billed #180,000 which they accepted before the operation. After the surgery, her husband called me and asked how much I charge and i told him. He then began pleading with the management of the said hospital to review his bill. They declined. The husband being who he is, paid #120,000 and absconded with his wife and his newly born son. How he did this, I do not know, but i know that at the christening ceremony a week later, he had two cows slaughtered to celebrate the birth of his first son.

Many times we complain of doctors who ask for charges before treating patients but no one has ever bothered to ask the doctors why they do? Doctors are humans too, we need to pay bills. This is our trade, our profession, our means of livelihood. We have needs too. We can not go to the market place with the ID showing that we're doctors and hope to get food items on credit. We need to pay our children's school fees, we need clothes , shelter etc just as you. Everywhere in the world healthcare is expensive, both services and materials are exepensive. Well we understand that you may not have money. The government should find a way. The government should find a way/policy that ensures that we get our money back after we have rendered our service. In the UK there is the National Health Scheme, in the United states they have health insurance schemes too in addition to Medicare, Medicaid. In Nigeria we have the barely effective, poorly regulated and massively corrupt National Health Insurance Scheme.

Well i have decided to change the modus operandi of my institution. The previous one has not benefitted anybody. Henceforth if any one comes to my emergency room without a dime. I will not attend to. If such a person dies, the blood is not on my hands, its on the hands of those who have received treatment in the past and failed to pay afterwards.

KweenSisan:
Well..uve said d truth...buh is just...piple dnt always act d same way..deres still gonna b a group of rich guys who wud prolly wanna pay more...dose who genuinly value deir health..money could also come frm dere

datigbogirl:


Your last statement is what I'll like you to retract...let's be practical here.. Most patient can afford hospital bills but will rather abscond dan pay! Doctors have nurses,cleaners,security,lab technician and other doctors to pay....he has a wife and children to cater for their feeding,clothing, etc...even if he does " everything within his capabilities " by starving himself to death wat of these other people i mentioned? Are they going to hear dat one? These ate the things people should consider but I've noticed humans are just innately wicked and ignorant cos they see it as a Doctor making a fortune out of his misfortune...ds is probably one of the causes of poor-health seeking behaviour in d country...they'll rather abscond or perhaps beat you up after treating them...i can't wait to open my clinic and you'll see pay b4 service written boldly at the nurses counter...no shame in dat cos i and my workers are just like any other civil servants dat work because they have needs...dats wat we have to do to eke out a living...

ericlove4all:
Chief same situation am facing. Cannot pay my staff promptly yet patients keep pleading. If I show you our debtors list you will cry for me. Yet bills keep coming every month from various agencies and groups affiliated with the govt. Am currently planning on closing down the hospital.

claremont:


If I were you, I would rather quit being a Doctor than do the bolded. If you choose to place money before a life, you are in violation of the oath you swore to protect life. What I particularly find disgusting is that you try to justify your actions on the premise that a few patients in the past refused to pay you, you are now making your future patients vicariously liable for the handiwork of your previous patients. It makes no sense mate, just choose a different career path.

yetseyi:



An average Nigerian wont contribute.

Fedric:
closing down is never the best option

EreluY:




[size=18pt]What happened to the Hippocratic oath taken when you were enrolled by the medical council? Or, this doesn't happen in Nigeria anymore?[/size]

Nelico:
My dear colleague its d same story every where. Most patients & their relatives refuse to pay after u've suffered to treat them without full payment. I did emergency C.S. on a friends wife since february last year and saved the life of both the woman & her baby boy for only N 120,000, which covers drugs, theatre fee, surgeon fee, bed fee, medical & nursing care, blood transfused. Despite the guy being very rich with flashy cars & child dedication ceremony of over 1.5 million, he has refused on his wicked wife's advice not to offset his balance of 40K. If a Dr declines to treat on credit, wailers & end time nairalanders will come to rant against us.

claremont:


It's not every treatment though, is it?! He still gets paid from patients, from in-house Pharmacy, and from Sales Reps. I understand that some patients choose not to pay, but future emergencies shouldn't be sacrificed on the grounds that patients in the past didn't pay. The oath the OP swore to protect life first at all costs also applies in Nigeria. It's just my opinion.

idris4r83:
If accumulating wealth is what you are looking for after studying medicine then u are in for a ride. A medical degree can only make u sufficient but not rich.

Dharniel:


no argument, but it will make more sense ID doctors can live by the mantra "live first"...

samdes02:
jeez! Now I just got angrier , seriously?

Drfinn:
My noble colleague I feel your pain. It's a reoccurring decimal in every part of Nigeria. The amount of debt owed my facility last year was staggering. I tried severally to recoup always met with pleas and cries.

It takes a doctor with a heart for humanity such as yours to attend to patients before asking for money. It's rather saddening that these patients and their relatives hardly appreciate or seem to reciprocate your kindness. I managed a case of eclampsia last year. D lady was rushed to d clinic while I was in another city. I abandoned every engagement, rushed back and took charge of the situation. Dat was 7months ago. Till date her people are yet to settle their bills.

D one dat hurts was a woman whose child was admitted in a critical condition. After painstakingly taking care of this child. The mother turned around to abuse my workers and vowed never to pay her outstanding bills. Dat was 5 months ago. Till date am yet to c a dime. D list is endless.

Dats why when people bash doctors anyhow I only laugh at their foolishness. They don't know the pains, sacrifice, sleepless nights and inconveniences you endure to see dat another of God's creature recover from whatever malady dat befell dem. The life of a doctor revolves around people. His/her patients.

The failure of society, by dat I mean government, religious organisations, and media to appreciate health is one of the reasons doctors seem to turn the blind eye. The government cares less about the Health and health needs of the citizenry. Primary health care is virtually absent in this country. And where it exists, under funding is a major issue. Religious organisations have taken it upon demselves to play God with people's health. A pregnant woman almost lost her baby simply because her supposed bishop kicked against cesarean section. My boss was helpless. It took wisdom for me to convince her before she accepted. Baby survived was referred to see a neonatologist!

The media seem to glamorise the quackery of herbal practitioners. A day doesn't go by without seeing these evil people on television programs advertising there fake herbs. A woman once came with a gallon of concoction to see me at the clinic. She told me one of these herbal doctors gave her to enable her conceive a boy cos her husband and his people her on her neck. This woman was supposedly educated. I laughed at her folly and counsel her right. Today she's a proud mother of two boys. I believe the media need to downgrade the publicity given these wolves in sheep clothing.

To my noble colleague and all doctors let's continue to be guided by the physician's oath we took. It's a calling. However, let's put measures in place to recoup every penny expended on our patients. It has been my belief that human life comes first. I will continue to uphold the sanctity of human life. And I pray that government, religious organisations, the media and indeed every one join hands in building a health nation. Health is wealth.

dexpotter:
You have a right judgement. But should the latter be punished for the sins of those that came before them? What if u were not a doc n ur wife or mother fall into similar situation n u are not dere 2 hlp financially @ dat moment??

dexpotter:
You have a right judgement. But should the latter be punished for the sins of those that came before them? What if u were not a doc n ur wife or mother fall into similar situation n u are not dere 2 hlp financially @ dat moment??