06/02/2026
đ đ¸đťđźđ đđľđ˛đâđšđš đ°đźđşđ˛ đłđźđż đşđ˛.
đđđ đđźđşđ˛đźđťđ˛ đľđŽđ đđź đđŽđ đđľđśđ.
A Nigerian hospital just told me:
âđŁđŽđżđŽđ°đ˛đđŽđşđźđš đśđ âŚđŽđąđŹ đ˝đ˛đż đđŽđŻđšđ˛đ.â
Not a strip.
Not injection.
đ˘đťđ˛ đđŽđŻđšđ˛đ.
Thatâs when I realized something painful:
đĄđśđ´đ˛đżđśđŽâđ đľđ˛đŽđšđđľđ°đŽđżđ˛ đđđđđ˛đş đśđ đťđź đšđźđťđ´đ˛đż đŻđżđźđ¸đ˛đť.
đđ đśđ đ˝đżđ˛đąđŽđđźđżđ.
And President đ§đśđťđđŻđ cannot pretend this isnât happening on his watch.
Letâs stop lying.
Today in Nigeria:
⢠People fear hospital bills more than diagnosis
⢠Chemotherapy costs âŚ20m+ for two cycles
⢠CT scans cost more than annual salaries
⢠A simple consultation can be âŚ300,000
This is not healthcare.
This is đłđśđťđŽđťđ°đśđŽđš đŽđşđŻđđđľ.
Before we blame doctors, letâs tell the truth:
⢠Doctors are underpaid and overworked
⢠The best ones are leaving (Japa is real)
⢠Primary Health Centres are dead
⢠Everyone crowds teaching hospitals
⢠No price control on drugs or services
⢠Inflation and FX chaos inflate costs
⢠Regulation is weak
⢠Cash payments rule everything
This system đżđ˛đđŽđżđąđ đ°đľđŽđźđ.
Hereâs the part nobody wants to say publicly:
đ đđŽđđľ đ˝đŽđđşđ˛đťđ đśđ đđľđ˛ đźđ
đđ´đ˛đť đłđ˛đ˛đąđśđťđ´ đľđźđđ˝đśđđŽđš đ˛đ
đ˝đšđźđśđđŽđđśđźđť.
When patients pay directly:
⢠Fear replaces logic
⢠Negotiation dies
⢠Anything becomes âurgentâ
⢠Any price becomes ânormalâ
Thatâs why youâre told paracetamol is âŚ250.
They will never đđ˛đšđš đŽđť đđ đ˘ that nonsense.
They only tell đđźđ.
Tinubu has ONE real lever â and heâs not pulling it.
đ đŽđťđąđŽđđźđżđ đđťđśđđ˛đżđđŽđš đľđ˛đŽđšđđľ đśđťđđđżđŽđťđ°đ˛, đ˝đżđźđ˝đ˛đżđšđ đ˛đťđłđźđżđ°đ˛đą, đđľđżđźđđ´đľ đżđ˛đ´đđšđŽđđ˛đą đđ đ˘đ.
Why this matters:
When HMOs pay hospitals đŽđłđđ˛đż đ°đŽđżđ˛:
⢠Prices suddenly behave
⢠Fraud reduces
⢠Billing is audited
⢠Hospitals negotiate, not intimidate
You canât inflate prices when someone is checking.
Thatâs how healthcare inflation is controlled globally.
Yes, HMOs must be fixed too.
Bad actors destroyed trust.
But rejecting insurance because of bad HMOs is like rejecting roads because of potholes.
đđŽđđľ đ¸đśđšđšđ đłđŽđđđ˛đż.
Letâs be honest with ourselves:
Doctors earning âŚ250k after 7â10 years of training will burn out.
Hospitals surviving on chaos will exploit.
Politicians ignoring structure will bury citizens quietly.
And Nigerians will keep blaming individuals instead of đŽ đđśđ°đ¸đ˛đą đđđđđ˛đş.
đđśđťđŽđš đđľđźđđ´đľđ:
Health insurance is not a luxury.
It is not âcorporate talkâ.
It is the last line between đśđšđšđťđ˛đđ đŽđťđą đ˝đźđđ˛đżđđ.
If paracetamol is âŚ250 today,
tomorrow survival itself will be a privilege.
And no nation survives that.
If you work in health, policy, HR, or leadership â
this conversation concerns you.
Silence is no longer neutral.
