We’re positioning Regina Caeli Specialist Hospital to become best in Anambra – Fr Affusim

~ Reacts to allegation of extortion through N1,000 utility charge

By Joe Ifeizu

The management of Regina Caeli Specialist Hospital, Awka, a mission hospital owned by the Awka Catholic Diocese has said that the hospital is setting the pace healthcare delivery, and positioning to become the best hospital in the state soon.

The Chief Executive Officer of the hospital, Rev Fr Innocent Affusim stated this during an interview with THE RAZOR in his office.

Affusim also reacted to allegation that the hospital was extorting patients on insurance package by making them pay N1,000 per patient as utility charges, before assessing services in the hospital.

Affusim who led THE RAZOR on a tour of facilities in the hospital said: “The trend is that most facilities think patients on insurance are not valued because their money is small, but here we have prioritized things. We have purposefully renovated and equipped a part of the hospital for patients on insurance, so that they will feel valued when they come here. Look at the kind of seats we put here, it is different from what you find in other parts of the hospital.

“It is not a crime to be on health insurance. Outside the country, people who are not on insurance suffer because you can’t afford good healthcare services.

“Our assurance to patients is that we will deliver quality services to anyone who comes here. Good and wonderful environment also promotes healing. It is psychological. When you walk into a place and you see how well equipped the place is, how comfortable the environment is, you begin to have confidence that the people can take care of you, and that is part of the healing, and whatever treatment you give they respond to it. It is psychological. That is why we have refurbished this place like this for insurance patients. The seat here are comfortable, there is air conditioner in every corner here.

“Here we have a section for people who have psychological issues. Everything is not medical. Some people just need someone to speak to about their problems. We have psychologists here, and we have acquired several machines to take care of that.”

Speaking of workings in the hospital, Affusim said: “Here, we use only electronic mail recorder. Everything in this hospital is computerized, no one carries folders or files around. From the point you come into the hospital and your vitals are taken, when you move to the next point, your information is already with the doctor. Everything here is just by a push of the button. We have also installed softwares that let you know when it is your turn to see the doctor by just looking into the television screen over there.”

On allegations that the hospital was using utility charge of N1,000 to extort patients on health insurance, Affusim said: “Utility charges are not new, it has been there. Hospitals have different ways of factoring in their utility charges, without you hearing the word utility, but by the time you are done paying for services, you have already paid your utility bill without knowing. Some people factor it into consultation, or their bed fee or any other.

“Then let me tell you what the utility bill is for. The cleaners that take care of the facility, the water you use, the television you watch, it is general and applies everywhere. That you don’t hear it in some places does not mean you don’t pay it. Why this one seems to be an issue is because the people we charge separate N1,000 per head are people under insurance, and they don’t pay consultation, registration, otherwise, therein, they would have paid for it.

“Then, asking how often, it is very clear that any day you come into the hospital, you are enjoying the services of the hospital. We will not say because you came to the hospital yesterday and paid N1,000, you will not pay today, and cleaners will not do their work, or the television will not be on for you, or the electricity will not be on. All these facilities must be on everyday, and you enjoy them everyday, so you pay everyday that you come around. I don’t know if you understand.

“You see all the gadgets I showed you, there are all to make people feel good and they have to be maintained and it is that utility bill that we use to do this. I think what we should rather be looking at should be the quality of the services we offer.

“Some people say, why not factor the utility bill into their total charge instead of asking each patient to always pay it separately, but I want to tell you that even if you do that, people will still complain. Take for instance that you give an insurance patient’s drug worth N10,000, and he is supposed to pay just 10 percent, which is N1,000 and you now tell the patient to pay N2,000 when you have added the utility charge, the patient can still go out and be screaming that we now charge them 20 percent, as against the 10 percent they know.”

The manager said despite cash crunch, the hospital is determined to be the best healthcare facility in the state soon.

He showed THE RAZOR equipment that have been recently procured in many sections of the hospital, to ensure efficiency in healthcare delivery.

He however lamented that external funding for the facility has dropped, as the hospital relies on internal funds to sustain itself, despite the high cost of  drugs today. He also frowned at people who think that mission hospitals should charge less because they are owned by churches.

“We don’t have external help, whatever you see here are from resources generated from within, even though once in a while we have priests who are outside the country who attract one equipment or the other for us, but that is rare.

“People say that mission hospitals are expensive, but you know that is not true. Our hospital is far cheaper, but you must also take into cognizance the equipment we use here and the quality we have maintained and how much drugs are in the market today.

“Gone are the days when people say this is a church hospital, so everything must be done free. That is not true. These days, there are no external help, or funding from government. Don’t forget that we have staffs here, and we must pay them well to be able to work. You don’t get water and bless it and give to your workers to give their family members when they are hungry. You must pay them, and where does the money come from?

“The same people who say church hospitals should be free, if you tell them to come and work here, so that every month end we celebrate mass and ask God to bless them, and they take that as their salary, they will say no. So, why do you want others to work here free, and provide you free services?” Affusim asked rhetorically.

THE RAZOR reporter who toured the hospital reports that there was a beehive of activities, with several sections of the hospital swarming with patients. State of the art health equipment were also seen in the various sections.