The Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners (ANPMP) has sounded an alarm over the impact of Nigeria’s economic downturn on private healthcare facilities. In a recent interview with Daily Post, ANPMP Chairman Dr. Odia Festus Ihongbe revealed that economic hardship is pushing many private hospitals to close, forcing a growing number of Nigerians into dangerous self-medication practices with severe health consequences.
“The morgues are filling up, while hospital beds remain empty,” Dr. Ihongbe stated. He explained that the rising cost of living and healthcare has led many Nigerians to delay seeking medical treatment until conditions become critical, resulting in an increase in preventable deaths and cases of organ failure.
According to Dr. Ihongbe, patients increasingly rely on internet searches to self-diagnose and purchase medication from chemists without professional guidance. He described the growing number of patients arriving at hospitals in terminal stages and said, “People come only when it becomes critical, and they expect miracles. Some even just want to die in the hospital because of family issues.”
ANPMP’s Chairman, Dr Odia Festus Ihongbe in an exclusive interview with DAILY POST, weekend, in Abuja, said that morgues were being filled up with dead bodies, while hospital beds were empty.
According to him, “people come only when it becomes critical and they just want you to do magic. And some want to die in the hospital, maybe because of confusion in their families.”
Dr Odia revealed that Nigerians now google their symptoms and buy “drugs from chemists until it gets to the terminal stage.
“Sometimes, we keep them outside and issue death certificates because if you don’t do that, they will come in and dump the body in your hospital and say they are going to look for money for burial”.
Odia further lamented that private hospitals cannot afford to pay the N70,000 minimum wage recently approved by the federal government, owing to poor revenue.
He said, “How will the private sector pay the N70,000 minimum wage?
“Meanwhile the private sector employs 80 percent of doctors and nurses and other scientists, so we are more in number.
“If you have like eight to ten cleaners in your hospital, that’s already about N800,000. Who will pay that money?”
“We provide services to 80 percent of healthcare services in Nigeria yet the government does not show concern about developing the private sector.
“They do more lip service than giving us required attention. Whatever affects health, affects the private sector more.
“You have to provide accommodations for your workers, pay salaries like any other businesses.”
He lamented that prices of essential drugs and hospital equipment have skyrocketed due to the forex crisis.
