By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Patients and health insurance holders at Regina Caeli Hospital, a mission hospital which is owned and managed by the Catholic Church in Anambra State, have expressed sadness on the hospital’s new policy of charging patients utility bills in order to access healthcare services.

The patients who spoke in Awka said that the utility bill is also added to other medical bills.

They said the hospital now demands a payment of N1,000 per head for utility bills before providing medical services, regardless of whether the patient is an in-patient or out-patient. This is in addition to other medical bills.

According to a health insurance scheme holder, Johnson Ebeh, the policy is “sad and exploitative.”

He said: “Health insurance holders cannot even get malaria medicine worth less than N2,000 from the hospital pharmacy because the hospital claims the scheme doesn’t cover it. Now, they’re forced to pay utility bills too.”

“Patients have criticized the hospital’s management for shifting the responsibility of paying utility bills to them, arguing that it is part of the cost of services and should be included in the overall bill.”

Meanwhile, the hospital’s management has not responded to inquiries about the new policy, but patients are calling on the Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Revd Dr. Paulinus Ezeokafor, to intervene and address the situation.

Regina Caeli Hospital, an old medical facility in the state is known for its quality services, but patients feel that the new policy is not representing the hospital’s founding vision of service to humanity.