Funmi Olaitan, Ibadan
Patients who visit University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, are daily groaning over the new payment system introduced last month by the hospital management to check leakages and fraudulent practices among staff.
It was learnt that the payment system was contracted to a consulting firm, Unified Payment Company, by the hospital management, to ease revenue collection and check leakages.
It would be recalled that the hospital management had in the past few years introduced several methods of revenue collection to block leakages and enhance internally generated revenue.
During a visit to the General Out Patient (GOP) section of the hospital , scores of patients were seen complaining over the new payment policy , which required statutory payment of N1,000 for a card to be used for payment of services.
They berated the management of the hospital for lack of concern for their plight, and wondered why the management failed to give adequate information to the general public before the introduction of the policy.
While lamenting the frustration the new system had caused, the patients complained that most of the POS machines installed were malfunctioning .
One of the patients who identified himself as Gabriel Ojo-oba, faulted the operators of the payment machines, saying that a good number of the operators were not properly trained on how to handle the machines.
There was confusion at some of the pay points as patients were seen stranded following their inability to pay for cost of consultation, drugs, and other treatment .
"Look at the way patients were being subjected to pains, in addition to their ailment. This is too bad. At times I wonder if those in the management are humans, if they will not be sick one day and experience what it used to be when one is sick'', a female patient, Moji Oladipo said.
But while defending the policy, UCH Public Relations Officer (PRO) , Mr. Deji Bobade, described the system as part of efforts to upgrade the revenue collection and block leakages in the system.
Speaking on complaints by patients, he appealed for understanding and patience with the management, stating that it was some of the teething problems expected of a new system.
Bobade however said it was untrue that some of the machines were not functioning, stating that the complaints may be borne out of people's resistance to change.
He said, "I was at the hospital myself yesterday and I saw many of the pay points where people go and pay their money. Within few minutes they are done with it. The management has upgraded and our money are going to the banks directly. And we have succeeded too to block all the leakages using the new payment system. I believe with time the people will be used to the system".