The management of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Oyo State, mandates each patient to pay N1,000 daily for electricity, FIJ has learnt.

The hospital, via an internal memo circulated on June 21, said high cost of electricity tariffs and increasing price of diesel were behind the decision to force patients to shoulder the cost of power supply.

The letter, titled ‘Approval For The Recommendation To Add Utility Fee To The Service Fee Charged To Patients In The Hospital’, was signed by Wole Oyeyemi, UCH administrator, on behalf of the chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, and chief medical director.

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It read, “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 letter was addressed to the director/head, finance and accounts department, UCH.

On condition of anonymity, a source who works in the hospital told FIJ that the directive had been in effect since Tuesday.

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“A patient in the South East 4 (SE4) said she was asked to pay N1,000 for electricity bill after she had paid a service charge,” the source told FIJ.

The source said anyone who is unable to pay the electricity bills for the number of days spent in the hospital is detained in the hospital until they can pay up.

When FIJ contacted Toye Akinrinlola, UCH spokesperson, for comments, he told our reporter he was unaware of the development.

He said he needed more time to confirm and revert, but at press time, he was yet to get back to our reporter.