I was walking down the the aisle leading off to the male ward when I saw her. She was struggling with a very ill looking 7 year old on her back. She was also making a phone call. As I walked past her I overheard her say "We are in XYZ government hospital... We have spent over a 100 000 naira ( about 700 US$)...We dont have a choice...".

I understood her plight. Visiting Nigerian public hospitals can be a daunting task which will test the patience of even God himself. As such, many tend to visit them either due to financial constraints or as a last resort. If you've been there once, you may not want to return. If your relative had been admitted there in the past, well then you know the full story. There is the issue of bureaucratic hurdles and unfriendly disposition of some workers. There is also the problem of incessant strikes. So why visit? Are there any benefits?

1. Prices are comparatively cheaper

You will likely pay less for services rendered in a public hospital as compared to a private one. To pick a card to see a doctor where I work is 20 naira (30 cents) and admission file costs 300 naira (2$). Of course it ranges but it is safe to assume that most government hospitals will open a case note for you with much less than 1000 naira. Laboratory tests are usually cheaper too and and more reliable. Procedures are also within reasonable pricing. A caeserian section here is free as a state hospital but even in federal government hospitals it is usually less than a 100 000 naira. Compare the pricing for that surgery in private hospitals in your area and you will be amazed.

2. Unbiased treatment

As a government doctor, your salary does not depend on the number of patients you attend to. So if no patient shows up at our clinic I still get paid. What this translates to is that I am unlikely to keep a patient with the aim of getting more money from him even when I clearly lack the expertise or facilities required to manage the patient. A large proportion of private centers are run by one or two doctors. As such, your diagnosis (or misdiagnosis) is hinged on their decisions and experience. Central or tertiary hospitals work as a team of doctors such that within a day, you may have been attended to by 5 different doctors interested in your wellbeing. Sometimes, other teams of doctors are invited to review their area of expertise thus refining your treatment even further. And when it is clear that the issue is beyond their competence or equipment available in the center, you are referred without delay.

3. Easy access to specialists

Not all health conditions respond to routine medications. Conditions such as heart failure, complicated diabetes, cancers or those requiring complex surgeries are best handled by doctors trained in that field. So also are illnesses involving very young children or vital body organs. However it costs money to pay such specialists and the government takes it as a pont of duty to employ them as part of its social responsibility. As such, all you need to do to have the full attention of these specialists is to pick a card under their name. Sometimes you may not need to see them as doctors learning under these consultants are trained to act in their stead. Nonetheless, the health issues of patients on admission are discussed with the consultants and they will show up in a heartbeat if the need arises. Of course specialists are not bound to government and a number of private hospitals employ specialists available for those who can afford them.

So when next you are deciding to visit a hospital, keep an open mind. Public hospitals may not be the worst. In my next article, I shall attempt to provide perspectives on government hospitals and what you should expect such that you are not horribly disappointed when you do visit. Even if you've had a bitter experience in the past, still look out for the blog as it may provide you with closure.

iflow writes at www.primerhealth.com.ng

I quite agree wt u..I'v visited a general teaching hospital..hav a bad eye sight so I went to see d doctor..there wia lots of scenerios..was actually feeding my eyes..ranging frm d nurses,doctors ,student doctors,patients,children..was fun though..buh was a bit crowdy..

i have a post on what to expect when visiting a government hospital too!

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