The Management of University of Benin Teaching Hospital, UBTH, says the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Prof. (Mrs) Idia Nibikun Ize-Iyamu inherited over N7 billion debts, including unpaid contractors bills ― handed over to Ize-Iyamu by the immediate past Chief Medical Medical Director of the facility, Prof. Darlington Obaseki.
The UBTH chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, CMAC, Dr Emmanuel Osaigbovo said in addition, UBTH hospital pays about N150 million monthly electricity bills to the Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDC under the Band A reflective tariffs payment plan, which does not guarantee 24 hours electricity supply.
Osaigbovo, who spoke in an interview on a Radio programme in Benin, monitored by TheNewspad media team, revealed that 30,000 litres of disease to provide alternative power supply to rev machines and procure other other medical equipment, medicine, drugs, oxygen consumables, and other items, which he claimed have seriously impacted the daily running cost of the government hospital.
These developments, according to him, prompted the Management of the hospital to recently approve a slight upward review of charges in three areas, including cost of consumables and patients deposit for the treatment of patients and life-saving mission.
He disclosed that the move bridge funding gaps to compliment the federal government monthly subvention, which is not enough to the hospital, meet provide quality and affordable healthcare at the hospital and avert imminent shut down.
He said, the current Chief Medical Director of UBTH, Professor (Mrs) Idia Ize-Iyamu is just six months old in office. Within the period, the Joint Health Sector union, JOHESU, went on a nationwide strike that lasted for three months over the what it termed as the federal government’s failure to adjust the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) in Nigeria.
He also recalled, “As she (Idia Ize-Iyamu) took the mantle of leadership, she inherited a debt of N7 billion from her predecessors; Less than two weeks into office, contractors who rendered services for the hospital during past administrations, embarked on a protest over unpaid debts.
“She quickly invited them to a meeting and sued for patience. And they listed to her because of her reputation. We are not complaining. Government is continuing”, according to the CMAC, “Pharmaceutical companies supply drugs also agreed to wait”.
“But, after a period of time, they will stop supply of drugs because of the huge money involved. This is why some drugs are out of stock in our Pharmacies because our suppliers declined giving drugs without payment”.
“When you come to UBTH, there is always power supply because we pay monthly electricity bills to BEDC.
“Oxygen is also expensive. Our Oxygen plant is broken down due to tear and wear over the years. To buy a new one is expensive. There is no money”.
“Over N7 billion debt, is over the years. We service the debt the subvention from the federal government is not enough to pay bills.
It will not be pleasant for our doctors and nurses to use mobile phones light to treat patients because there is no power supply at the hospital”, he said.
According to CMAC, “We (UBTH) have about 5000 staff. Over 2000 ‘contract staff’, including Cleaners, security agents and Portals who are paid directly by the hospital, while staff on the nominal payroll
are paid by the federal government, which undertake capital projects, but does not pay for electricity or diesel or buy soap and disinfectant for washing of the floor and other maintenance cost”.
“We are pleading with Nigerians to show understanding because we do not need to shut down the hospital due to our inability to meet up with the running cost, which are sourced from the hospital’s Internally Generated Revenue, IGR.
“You heard that Edo State government made a pledge of N2.5 billion to build a new Children’s Ward known as that Paediatric Centre. The paperwork is ongoing”, according to Osaigbovo.
He further said UBTH has a state of the-art Radiotherapy machine, which runs non-stop on generator set, noting that when it is switched off by default, it will take three days to prime it.
The CMAC also recalled how a staff of the hospital, was allegedly beaten up by a 4-man gang believed to be relative of a patient who died in oxygen concentrator, while receiving treatment at the tertiary hospital, which he lamented has several abandoned corpses at its morgue.
That’s huge amount