The administration of the University College Hospital (UCH), located in Ibadan, Oyo State, has announced the inclusion of a daily energy tax of N1,000 to each patient’s service bill.

According to a hospital circular allegedly seen by PREMIUM TIMES, the new development was driven on by the high cost of fuel and power.

The chief medical director and head of the medical advisory council both had their signatures on the document, which was also signed by the UCH administrator Wole Oyeyemi.

According to it, executives have decided to investigate steps that can help to facilitate perfect service delivery in the hospital due to the frequent power outages, high cost of energy tariff, and change in the cost of diesel.

In light of this, they wrote to announce that the management has given its blessing to the requirement that every patient who receives care at this hospital must pay a daily utility cost of N1,000.00 (one thousand naira only).

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An official from the hospital’s works department allegedly confirmed the situation to PREMIUM TIMES, but asked to remain anonymous for fear of repercussions. He or she stated that the institution is now operating at “a tremendous deficit” and had to improvise by adding the N1,000 to customers’ service charges.

The source further stated that the hospital receives monthly electrical bills from the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company totaling between N50 and N60 million (IBEDC).

They said that diesel is incredibly expensive to use for the hospital because they have to rely on the public power supply, and their energy distributor, IBDC, also has very high bills right now.

Additionally, the source emphasized that the hospital cannot afford a complete blackout “due to the emergency units that require continual electricity and water supplies.”

There is more to the development than what is being reported, according to Toye Akinrinola, the hospital’s public relations officer, who also confirmed the development over the phone.

He continued by saying that some well-intentioned Nigerians have begun contributing diesel to the hospital.