The Chairman of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) on the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Mr. Oladayo Olabampe, has disclosed that the hospital was spending about N80 million month-to-month on electrical energy payments regardless of its worsening monetary state of affairs.
According to him, the hospital’s lack of ability to maintain the cost led to the disconnection of provide from the power by the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) on October 26.
While noting that UCH has not had an influence provide since then, Olabampe appealed to the Federal Government to urgently intervene within the hospital’s energy outage disaster.
“There has been no energy at UCH since October 26, when the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) disconnected the hospital over collected money owed.
“The bills from IBEDC are alarming and outrageous for an institution like UCH. The government must step in to assist the hospital,” he defined.
High price of vitality
Olabampe additional emphasised the dire state of affairs, saying, “The power costs are overwhelming, costs are killing us. We are paying between N70 million and N80 million each month, yet we still rely on diesel to keep essential services running because we don’t have light for 24 hours.”
- The monetary burden on UCH has been compounded by the truth that lots of its sufferers are unable to pay for the medical providers they obtain.
- As a public hospital, UCH is predicted to supply care to these in want, typically at little or no price.
Hospital appeals to be moved from band A to band B
- Olabampe identified that UCH had been assigned to a high-cost electrical energy band (Band A) by IBEDC, which the hospital couldn’t afford.
- Despite requests to be moved to a lower-cost band (Band B), IBEDC has not acted on the hospital’s plea, leaving UCH in a dire monetary place.
“This is why the hospital management requested that IBEDC downgrade UCH to Band B, where the costs are more manageable. However, IBEDC has yet to make this change.”
Government and public assist wanted
- The JOHESU Chairman is now calling on the Federal Government to induce IBEDC to return UCH to Band B, which the hospital can higher afford.
- He additionally appealed to philanthropists and well-meaning Nigerians to lend their assist to the hospital.
- He additional famous that Federal Government hospitals like UCH are supposed to present “welfare” providers. “
- At instances, some sufferers can’t even pay after receiving therapy resulting from monetary constraints.
“We ask IBEDC to work with UCH management to settle part of the outstanding bill for now, so they can reconnect us while payment negotiations continue,” he added.
- In addition to the electrical energy challenges, family of sufferers at UCH have expressed considerations in regards to the impression of the facility outage on affected person care.
- Some sufferers have confronted delays in receiving medical consideration and take a look at outcomes as a result of lack of energy, additional aggravating an already important state of affairs.
“Patients are struggling. My father hasn’t been attended to as a result of the outcomes of his take a look at haven’t come out, they usually preserve saying ‘no light,’’ mentioned Mr. Ismail Mohammed, a relative of one of many sufferers.
Despite these challenges, UCH administration is working tirelessly to seek out options and restore regular providers, with Olabampe expressing hope that the state of affairs will quickly enhance.
“We are doing our best to address the power issue. But we need government intervention to ease the financial burden and ensure uninterrupted services,” Olabampe concluded.
The JOHESU Chairman’s name for pressing assist comes as UCH continues to wrestle with balancing its operational prices and the necessity to present high quality healthcare to the folks of Ibadan and past.
