The Federal Government has rejected the ongoing lobby by
tertiary health institutions to increase treatment fees.
Chief medical directors across the country had recently
disclosed plans to lobby the Federal Government for increase in hospital
treatment charges.
The CMDs hinged their reasons for the demand on inflation.
But the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, in an
interview with SUNDAY PUNCH, disclosed that he had not received any formal
letter on the demand from the CMDs.
Adewale, who acknowledged the high cost of medical equipment,
said he might not grant the request.
He insisted that the poor and vulnerable in the society must
be catered for not minding the rising cost of medical equipment.
He said, “They don’t have to lobby the Federal Government
for increment. Ideally if they have a board, they will write to us and when
they write to us, we look into it.
“For now, there is no policy yet; the only thing we are
doing is to say those who cannot pay, we will find a way to support them. But
people must pay for treatment, we are running cost recovery. But those who
cannot pay, we will help them.
“I may not grant their request. You know I am a pro-poor
person and that’s why we have been doing the RRI (Rapid Results Initiative) to
get treatment to the poor and the vulnerable. Those who can pay must pay. No
atmosphere for free treatment.
“We will take care of those who can’t afford to pay. But
when those who can pay, escape payment, then, we are in trouble.”
On the letter of demand from the CMDs, Adewale said, “I
can’t tell you; I’ve not seen their letter. I will have to ask the permanent
secretary.”
He said that it would be difficult to convince Nigerians to
pay more for medical services when the Federal Government was clamouring for
Universal Health Coverage.
“Universal Health Coverage does not mean free treatment. It
means that you do not need to suffer financial injury if you go for care. It
didn’t say free treatment.
“There are ways to take care of that, either through
insurance or government is subsidising it through tax. Somebody must pay, the
primary healthcare principally is to take care of the common thing so that we
can free the tertiary centres.”
The Chairman of Committee of Chief Executives of Tertiary
Health Institutions, Prof. Thomas Agan, told SUNDAY PUNCH that teaching
hospitals would not take any drastic decision if the Federal Government failed
to accede to their request for increase in medical treatment fee.
In an interview on Friday, Agan said he would prefer to
comment on the extent of lobby after the 2017 budget had been passed by the
National Assembly.
He, however, said that if the Federal Government in the
interim failed to accede to their lobby, they would abide by the rate.
Agan said, “We will continue to manage the way we have been
managing because we provide social services in the health institutions. We
cannot do anything contrary.”
Agan had during his initial argument said, “There is no way
the rate of treatment will not increase otherwise the hospitals will break down
completely. For me, we have not even increased rates but we are trying to lobby
the Federal Ministry of Health to see to the possibility of increasing the cost
of treatment.”
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