At LUTH, patients say it’s healthcare with tears
By Chukwuma Muanya, Oluwatosin Areo and Adaku Onyenucheya
Tuesday, the doctor still asked them to do the chest X-ray or else her son would not be discharged.
She explained that her son was asked to do the chest X-ray again after going through the stress.
“We practically had to move from the third floor to the ground floor for a series of tests, which automatically increased the chest ache. I had to beg for a wheel chair because he cannot walk. If not, more harm would have been done to my son’s system now,” she added.
Mrs. Obi prayed that there would be no complaint, as her son would be discharged later in the day.
“It is the chest X-ray that is delaying us. We have been discharged already, I just pray that there be no complaints again. Although, my son is yet to be on his feet, I cannot stand one more day in this hospital,” she said.
A patient undergoing dialysis said only one machine is functional.
“I have been in LUTH long enough. We know all their tricks are just to extort patients. They give you flimsy excuses but once you offer them money, the solution just pops up from nowhere,” Musa Abubakar added.
Theguardian investigation revealed that most relatives of patients at LUTH groan over nurses’ negative attitude to treatment.
“You must come with God whenever you bring a patient here”. These were the words of a mother whose son is on admission at LUTH.
The boy who has been on admission for the past two weeks has received little attention from the nurses, according to the mother who craved anonymity.
She said, though, her son has received little attention from the nurses, their indifferent attitude towards patients is disturbing.
This is the same issue with a soldier, whose sister has been on admission for the same period of time. When Theguardian engaged him in a discussion, he said his sister was referred from a private hospital to LUTH to undergo a complicated surgery. He said on entering the hospital, the procedures were demanding, adding that the nurses showed little concern in tending to his sister. The soldier who didn’t reveal his name said: “I will not refer my enemy to this hospital, so that he won’t lose his life. The situation alone will make someone die early,” he added.
He narrated how he had an encounter with the hospital management on payment for the surgery: “I was asked to pay a certain amount for the surgery. I did transfer to the hospital’s account, only for the accountant to tell me that the hospital’s account has not been credited, whereas my account has been debited. I showed the accountant my phone where the message was sent that my account has been debited. The accountant shouted at me in a cruel voice as if I was a thief, the matter turned to another phase after I called my bank manager who confirmed that my account has been debited and credited to the hospital’s account. The phone was on speaker and everyone heard what the bank manager said.
“Immediately I told the accountant to begin the procedure for payment, it got to an extent that I slapped the accountant and they brought in security men to arrest me, but I explained to them and showed my identity card. They all saw reason and blamed the accountant and nurses on duty.” He said after the incident, his sister has been given adequate attention and she is responding to treatment.
As Theguardian observed the relatives of patients who were discussing their plights at the waiting section in the hospital, a young man groaned as he walked past. When our correspondent approached him, he said the nurses had been rude to his father who was brought to the emergency unit of the hospital for immediate blood transfusion.
He said that rather than keep his father in the emergency unit for further observation, his father was wheeled out to the ward, despite his critical condition as he suffered from severe diabetic condition.
In his words: “My dad had been in the emergency unit because he needed blood transfusion and the hospital management said the bill is N27, 000 per week. I agreed to pay the money required but they insisted that he would be moved to the ward because there were many patients out there waiting to be attended to.
“I have quarreled with the nurses there on the immediate transfer to the ward considering his condition. But one particular nurse took it upon herself to frustrate me, but others were good. I continue to quarrel with them over this issue of behaviour towards their patients, especially my father. Although, the treatment here is superb, they have the equipment, but the attitude of healthcare workers especially the nurses is bad,” he added.
The security was tight as Theguardian could not gain entrance into the wards to interview the patients. Their relatives were also not allowed to be with them, except when needed.
However, some patients seem to be satisfied with the competence of the medical personnel. From interactions with few patients in various sections, it was observed that services offered at the hospital were good, reliable and on time. One particular patient waiting at the lobby who requested anonymity expressed his satisfaction with how the doctors were always prepared to listen to their complaints and ready to provide solutions or refer them to areas where they would be attended. He said one event that fascinated him was when someone crying in pain was rushed to the hospital.
“I was impressed the way the doctors were quick to her response and ready to help her unlike another general hospital I was at last week where everyone was acting nonchalantly and the doctors behaved like they were disturbed,” he said.
Another reporter’s experience at LUTH is not so different. Following rumour surrounding the poor state of things that should be of benefit to the patients and the lack of some basic infrastructure at LUTH, a surgeon who pleaded anonymity said the speculation was untrue when The Guardian visited the hospital last week.
Undoubtedly most recognised and patronised hospital in Lagos, when visited, our correspondent observed a calm atmosphere among staff of the hospital, as daily activities went on normally, although there were complaints from wards and patients on the delayed activities of the health workers, poor hygiene of the toilets and other facilities in the hospital.
A patient who pleaded anonymity expressed his sadness about the unsatisfactory performance of some medical consultants in the hospital.
“To be sincere, I have been in this hospital for close to five days now and the consultant has only visited our ward just once which is not a good thing. He came in for few minutes and left without a word to those of us who have been here for hours to be attended to,” he said.
Also, another patient disclosed that the cost of drugs is expensive.
“I am just surprised at the rate they sell their drugs here. The cost of medicines that should be purchased at a cheaper rate is sold at an expensive rate, whereas you get the same drugs cheaper outside. LUTH is not a small hospital, which everybody knows, the more reason the drugs should not be expensive,” she said.
They also visibly expressed their anger at the processes of the management towards patients, which they say are unnecessary as they keep referring one from either one department or ward to another before they can fully be attended to.
However, Theguardian investigation revealed that LUTH now has steady electricity and water supplies unlike what was obtained a few years back. The modular theatre that was shut down for more than one year for repairs is now fully functional.