Rising costs of medical services amid worsening economic hardship are pushing many patients away from public hospitals in the North-East.

The situation has forced a significant number of patients to abandon hospitals and rely on self-medication, traditional remedies and, in some cases, quack doctors.

Health experts describe the trend as dangerous, warning that it could lead to severe health complications and wider public health risks, Weekend Trust reports.

High medical costs are among the major factors forcing patients to resort to self-medication in order to avoid expensive consultations, laboratory tests and hospital charges. As a result, many patients now bypass professional healthcare.

Correspondents of Weekend Trust, who visited hospitals in Borno, Taraba, Adamawa and Yobe states, gathered that many patients are struggling to pay huge medical bills whenever they seek treatment.

Most of the patients interviewed complained that doctors often subject them to a series of laboratory tests, many of which later return negative results.

Patients lament rising costs in Yobe

In Yobe State, patients complained that the cost of laboratory tests and other medical services had become a huge burden due to out-of-pocket payments.

At the Ultra-Modern Police Hospital in Damaturu, Weekend Trust observed dozens of patients waiting for medical attention.

Almost all the patients interviewed lamented the rising cost of laboratory tests and drugs amid harsh economic realities.

They also decried the sharp increase in the prices of tests and medications compared to last year, despite no improvement in their sources of income.

Hafsat Makama, a patient seated in a wheelchair while waiting to see a doctor, said healthcare services had become unaffordable.

“When I took ill last year, I came here and the doctor requested some laboratory tests for diabetes and kidney function. There were other tests too, but I can’t recall all of them. Altogether, including medication, I paid about N15,000,” she said.

She explained that when she visited the hospital this year for similar tests, she was informed that the laboratory lacked the equipment needed for the examinations and was referred to the Yobe State Specialist Hospital and the Teaching Hospital in Damaturu.

“I knew services at the Teaching Hospital were more expensive, so I decided to go to the Specialist Hospital laboratory. The same tests that cost me around N10,000 last year cost about N20,000 this year.

“I had only N10,000, while the tests and medication cost nearly N30,000. I had to call my brother to send me money before I could settle the bills,” she added.

Another patient, Bukar Modu, a resident of Nayi-Nawa in Damaturu, said he had to seek financial support from relatives after spending heavily on his wife’s treatment.

“My wife took ill and I brought her here last Friday, where she was admitted for treatment,” he said.

“On arrival, I paid a N500 consultation fee. After that, the doctor referred us to the laboratory and radiology departments.

“In the laboratory, we paid N7,000 for tests, while scanning at the radiology department cost N2,000. After all these, the doctors said she needed to be admitted.

“Even though this is a public hospital, I still pay N1,500 daily as bed fee. From Friday till Tuesday, we spent almost all the money we had. That is why I called her relatives to assist us financially,” he said.

Adamawa patients express frustration

In Adamawa State, some patients interviewed at the Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital (MAUTH), Yola, expressed concern over the high cost of medical services despite the hospital being government-owned and expected to provide subsidised healthcare.

A patient, Maryam Mahmud, lamented that medical services had become too expensive at both MAUTH Yola and the Yola Specialist Hospital.

Mahmud said laboratory tests that cost between N5,000 and N6,000 at MAUTH were conducted for between N3,000 and N4,000 at private laboratories.

“Pregnancy tests that cost N2,000 in private laboratories are charged at about N10,000 in the hospital,” she alleged.

She added that surgery-related cases were mostly beyond the reach of ordinary citizens, noting that such procedures cost not less than N100,000.

“And when MRI facilities are involved, be ready to spend over a million naira,” she said.

Mahmud also alleged nepotism in the treatment of patients, saying it undermined fairness and equality in healthcare delivery.

Another patient, Jamila Tanko, said the cost of medical services had recently become extremely high for the less privileged, who make up the majority of patients.

Tanko said the current economic hardship and rising medical costs had forced many patients to abandon hospitals.

Another patient, Amina Usman, said her friends and relatives no longer patronise nhospitals. She said they prefer to take either herbal medicinesb or visit chemists for treatment. She lamented that they may not get the right treatment due to the situation. She called on the government to address the situation and make healthcare services more affordable for vulnerable Nigerians.

Borno patients seek government intervention

In Borno State, patients acknowledged improvements in healthcare delivery but appealed to the government to intervene in reducing the cost of services.

Mohammed Adamu said his wife was taken to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, where she was diagnosed with calcium deficiency and asked to undergo additional tests costing N4,000.

“This same test used to cost N1,500 in the past. I know inflation has affected everything, but healthcare subsidy should remain a priority,” he said.

He called on the government to show empathy towards patients by reducing medical charges or offering free services where necessary.

At the Nursing Home Hospital in Maiduguri, a patient, Ahmed Abubakar, who was brought in for appendicitis surgery, said out-of-pocket expenses remained a major barrier to treatment.

Abubakar said he spent heavily on laboratory tests before doctors finally diagnosed his ailment.

“The surgery was supposed to be conducted yesterday, but I could not present the test result because it cost about N5,000 and I didn’t have the money,” he said.

Another patient, Alhaji Mohammed Bulama, acknowledged improved services at the hospital but urged the government to bridge the gap between quality healthcare and affordability.

“From the medical records department to consultation, diagnosis and laboratory services, efficiency has improved. There is faster processing and reduced waiting time.

“But the major issue is the high cost of medical services. In the past, charges were either free or very low. Now doctors request tests costing N5,000, N10,000 or even more.

“These charges are driving people away from hospitals. Many people now stay at home and treat themselves with herbal medicine or self-medication, which is very dangerous,” he said.

Residents in Taraba decry costs

In Taraba State, residents also decried the rising cost of medical services and appealed to both the state and federal governments to intervene.

Findings showed that many residents had resorted to alternative medicine due to the unbearable cost of healthcare.

Jibrin Adamu, a retired civil servant, told Weekend Trust that he had been ill for over a year but could not afford treatment in either public or private hospitals.

He said his monthly pension was N70,000, adding that when he visited the Federal Medical Centre, Jalingo, he was asked to pay N2,500 for a hospital card, N12,000 for laboratory tests and N23,000 for prescribed drugs.

Adamu said he was asked to return for follow-up treatment but could not afford the cost.

“I thank God that the native medicine I resorted to is helping me. I’m now better than before,” he said.

Some residents also lamented the high cost of orthopaedic services, saying they were beyond the reach of ordinary Nigerians.

Lami James, who suffered a leg fracture in an auto crash in 2019, said she was referred to an orthopaedic hospital in Kano, where she eventually received treatment after spending a huge amount of money.

Another resident, Nuhu Muhammad, said the establishment of an orthopaedic hospital in Jalingo had saved residents the cost of travelling to Kano for treatment.

However, he noted that the high cost of orthopaedic services had forced many patients to patronise traditional bone setters.

The Medical Director of the Federal Orthopaedic Hospital, Jalingo, Professor Chubado Tahir, defended the high cost of orthopaedic services.

“Orthopaedic medical services are costly worldwide because of the specialised nature of the service,” he said.

He noted that the establishment of the hospital in Jalingo had brought relief to residents who previously travelled to Kano for treatment.

Tahir said that within one year of operation, the hospital had admitted over 400 patients and conducted about 200 major surgeries, including hip replacements.

He added that the hospital was undergoing expansion, while the Taraba State Government had allocated 12 hectares of land for its permanent site.

“Gradually, the hospital will offer all orthopaedic services, including spine surgery,” he said, adding that more facilities were being acquired to meet the growing demand for orthopaedic care in Taraba and neighbouring states.

At the Ultra-Modern Police Hospital in Damaturu, Yobe State, patients said, on arrival at the facility, they pay a thousand naira to open a folder, and five hundred naira for consultation fee.

They noted that when admitted, they pay N1,500 daily for bed space.

Meanwhile at Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital, (MAUTH) Yola, patients open a file or card at the cost of N1,500 before paying six hundred naira as consultation fee o and three hundred naira is what is charged antenatal patients.

For those on admission in the hospital, they pay a daily bed space fee of N1,100 for adults and N800 for children.

At the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Borno, the cost of opening a folder is a thousand naira with a consultation fee of five hundred naira.

GOPD costs a thousand five hundred, consultation 1,000 bed space N3,500, while paying a deposit of N20,000. Amenity and VIP rooms cost N15,000 and N13,000 respectively.

At the Orthopedic hospital Jalingo, the cost of opening a folder is N6,500 while the federal medical centre Jalingo charges N2,500.

When contacted on the patients outcry over high cost of the hospital services, the Public Relations Officer of Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital, (MAUTH) Yola, Muhammad Adamu Dodo, dismissed the claim.

He said the hospital management has not received any complaint regarding the high cost of medical services at their facility.

Mr Dodo, who responded via a telephone interview, noted that a recent survey indicates that MAUTH’s health care delivery services are among the cheapest ones in the country.

Dodo explained that, patient folder is N1,500, Bed fee is N1,000 noting that consultation fee, Nursing services and Oxygen are all free of charge.

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