President of the Save A Life Foundation, Dr Richard Okoye, has lamented the huge electricity bill he recently got for his hospital from the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, (PHED) .
Team@orientactualmags.com learned that Okoye in a clip that went viral on Thursday noted that the bill increased to N25,300,000 because the hospital is on Band A while warning that the Federal Government’s decision to increase the band’s tariff, which he described as a ‘Band A tariff epidemic”, to N225 kilowatt per hour from the current N66 would destroy the healthcare system in the country.
He added that hospitals only render essential services and should not be seen as business centres.
‘By reason of us (the hospital) being in band A, our monthly power bill is now shooting up to N25,300,000. That’s crazy; the hospitals are not business centres but only render essential services to society. This Band A tariff epidemic is bound to destroy the country’s healthcare system.
We are already struggling with an influx of doctors leaving the country. The majority of the healthcare system is struggling, as it were. If nothing is done, urgently revisit that decision. The band A tariff epidemics will turn most hospitals into morgues, something that could be prevented.
Power (electricity) is the life of the healthcare delivery. Patients have hope and a sense of living again when the light is in the hospital. In addition to that, the majority of emergency drugs and anaesthetic drugs always want to be at a particular temperature which can be sustained by electricity. If this decision persists, it will come to a point where most of the drugs will be in an unusable state, and it is already happening’ he said.
Okoye recalled how an elderly woman who was supposed to be undergo a surgery , was given an exact volume of propofol needed for her to relax but could not sleep because the potency of the drug had reduced due to lack of proper storage.
‘We were surprised and thought the woman was alcoholic, and the anaesthetic increased the dose a little and asked again, only for the woman to confirm that she was fine again. Only after evaluation was it found out that even though the drug is original but not well preserved, it would lose potency.
That is to say, those who are diabetic in Nigeria should brace up because the majority of them would see no way to buy their drugs. In fact, they need to travel miles to get a hospital with a steady light to get drugs they are taking.
While this Band A is on, teaching hospitals and Federal Medical Centre used to enjoy some relative form of light because perhaps they will not be like other people. They are now downgrading them to Band B and channeling Band A to those they feel can pay to the detriment of the people. I can count on and on, power is what determines whether a surgical procession would be successful or not. It determines the ‘before and after’ outcome of any surgery.
If the instruments are not properly sterilized, they may be the ones resistant to all antibiotics known. , that even when we start getting it right, the worst has already happened’ he said.
‘My heart melts when a teaching hospital can pack its instruments to go and sterilize in another hospital because it doesn’t have light. The FG should act because it is preventable as it is now’ he added-–Team@orientactualmags.com Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com. Thank you
