State House clinic scan machines gulp N2m monthly

Maintaining a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and other scan machines of the State House Medical Centre gulps about N2 million monthly.

State House Permanent Secretary, Jamal Arabi, disclosed this in a statement issued on his behalf by the State House Deputy Director of Information, Mr Attack Esah, in a reaction to a Daily Trust exclusive on Tuesday on patients lamenting over scarcity of drugs at the clinic meant to serve Nigeria’s president, vice president and their families as well as employees of the Presidency.

‘‘We have some of the best equipment in the country. For instance, to maintain the MRI and other scan machines, we spend close to N2 million monthly. Yet we do not charge a dime for those who require MRI scans in the clinic,’’ the permanent secretary said. 

He said the State House Medical Centre, which currently offers free medical services to patients, would be repositioned to offer qualitative and efficient services.

Arabi said the management would, among other things, seek the commercialisation of the centre to boost its revenue and augment the appropriation it receives from the government in the quest for a better qualitative service.

‘‘The Centre is the only health centre in Abuja where patients are not required to pay any dime before consultation.

‘‘In other government hospitals in Abuja, patients are required to pay for consultation, treatment, laboratory tests and others but that has not been the case with the State House Medical Centre.

‘‘The Centre offers free services, nobody pays a kobo for hospital card, consultations or prescriptions and this has taken a toll on the subvention the Centre receives from the government," the permanent secretary stated.

He said the proposed reforms would ensure that those eligible to use the Centre are NHIS complaint with their Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs) or primary health provider domiciled in the clinic.

‘‘We have already created a NHIS desk at the clinic where patients will be required to authentic their profile. If their HMOs are registered in other hospitals they will be required to transfer to the Centre.

‘‘This is another way through which we can boost revenue generation at the hospital and this has started yielding results because the stark reality is there is no free lunch anywhere,’’ he said. 

The permanent secretary also dismissed allegations of misappropriation and withholding of funds meant for medical supplies at the centre.

‘‘I know people will insinuate and give all sorts of reasons because they don’t ask but it will be foolhardy and madness for anybody in his senses to defraud a medical centre of a kobo and toying with people’s lives.

‘‘No sane person will do that, so the truth of the matter is the hospital is being run on  subvention and appropriation; if it comes we pile the drugs; but the truth is the drugs are always overwhelmed by the number of people who use the Centre, because it is not controlled,’’ he said.