Why UCH Stops N1000 Electricity Tariff On Patients

IBADAN – Management of the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, has said it has rescinded its earlier decision to add N1,000 electricity fee to the service charge of every admitted patient in the hospital.

         This was contained in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan by the hospital’s spokesperson, Mr. Toye Akinrinlola.

The statement reported the Director of Administration of the hospital, Mr. Stephen Oladejo, as saying that there was never a time the hospital charged such fee.

It said that there was no time the hospital charged such fee, and that it was more concerned with adequate healthcare delivery to Nigerians.

It said the memo being referred to was an internal document which was not implemented after a thorough review from internal mechanisms for such issues and had since been withdrawn.

The statement said at no point did the hospital charge electricity fee.

“We are assuring the public that we shall continue to deliver effective and efficient healthcare to Nigerians, irrespective of status,” he said.

Oladejo reiterated the commitment of the hospital to deliver optimal healthcare services to the many patients who thronged the hospital daily.

According to him, the hospital has been magnanimous on several occasions by writing off unpaid medical bills.

“It is also important to state that the University College Hospital does not turn back patients and that on several occasions, had written off bills incurred by indigent patients.

“Our doors are always open for people to cross check our activities,” he said.

NAN reports that the tertiary hospital had in an internal memo dated June 21, 2022, leaked to the media, proposed N1000 utility bill to be added to the service charge of patients seeking to access care in the hospital.

It would be recalled that the management of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Oyo State, was reported to have explained why each patient have to pay N1,000 daily for electricity supply.

The tertiary hospital in an internal memo circulated recently, and obtained by journalists, stated that the decision was taken in order to cushion the biting effects of increase in the price of electricity tariffs and diesel used to power generating plants by the hospital.

Titled; ‘Approval For The Recommendation To Add Utility Fee To The Service Fee Charged To Patients In The Hospital’, the memo was signed by Wole Oyeyemi, UCH administrator, on behalf of the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee and the Chief Medical Director.

It reads in part; “Following the recurring power outage in the hospital, high cost of electricity tariff and inflation in the price of diesel, which have impeded stable power supply, management has decided to consider measures that can help to facilitate flawless service delivery in the hospital.

“To this end, I write to convey the management’s approval for the mandatory payment of utility fee of N1,000.00 (one thousand naira only) daily by every patient accessing care in this hospital.

“You are requested to kindly implement the approval with immediate effect.”

The memo was addressed to the Director/Head, Finance and Accounts Department of the hospital.