Patients Under NHIS, JCHIMA Decries Unacceptable to Healthcare Service at Jigawa Hospitals

From : Ali Rabiu Ali, Dutse.

The patients Under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and JIgawa state Contributory Health Insurance Management Agency (JCHIMA) in the Rasheed Shekoni Specialist hospital has accused the management of the hospital of an allege defrauding  them under the schemes

The clients whom were the workers of the federal government and Jigawa state ministries and agencies in the state have bitterly complained on the unacceptable of healthcare services in the facility.

Speaking to Daily trust one of the clients and a staff of the federal ministry of information and national orientation, who gave as Rufa'i Adamu who decried the poor services and denials of consumables and unconaumables by the hospital.

Malam Rufa'i Adamu said "he subscribed with the hospital through the national health insurance scheme (NHIS) for over a decade".

According to him "I got an accident, I have a problem in my left lower arm leg, I went to the hospital. I saw Doctor who referred me to radiology for X-ray and prescribed some pain reliever drugs".

He said "I go to the X-ray department, the attendant told me are not working as there no file jacket to report on after the X-ray, he asked me to came back in another week. I was devastated, but I have no choose the to go and come back as he said" 

Rufa'i stated " I came back the following week the person (the attendant) told me the same thing that I can not be services as the management is yet to provide the jacket. I should come back in another day".

"To my greatest disappointment I came back for the third time on the third week the story remains. There is no jacket. He suggested to me that if I was onces X-rayed in the hospital, I can bring the old jacket so that the will help me and do it".

Also speaking one Abdullahi Ali a staff of the Nigeria Correctional Service in Dutse, the state capital said "he was also a client of the clinic, he has an eye problem and attended the hospital some time in October last year the doctor prescribed medication and asked to come back after one month".

Mr. Abdullahi Ali added that "when I get to pharmacy department they told me there is no any of the drugs and the eye drops. I went out side and buy. On the day of my appointment, which was November I didn't got the medication. I went and buy, now I came the same things".

"Look at the prescription paper, they said they don't have it. I got to the NHIS and complained they referred my to the management of the facility I don't know what to do", he decried.

When contacted Doctor Sulaiman Umar Alhassan, chairman medical advisory council and the deputy medical director of the hospital attributed the problems to long term transition between the JIgawa state government and the federal government.

Doctor Sulaiman Umar Alhassan explained that "the hospital was transferred from the state to the federal government about five years ago where the federal government converted the facility to teaching hospital for the Federal University Dutse (FUD).

He said "since then the state government stopped overhead to the hospital. All this while we are relaying on our internally generated revenue which grossly inadequate to cover all the needs of the hospital".

According to him "the present implementation is all another factor that is affecting the services of the clinic. The prices of everything had screcated".

He therefore for called on the government to restore the overhead cost to the hospital or the federal government should fully takes over the facility for effective services.