Solomon Dalung, a former Minister of Youth and Sports, has recounted a harrowing experience at an unnamed hospital in Plateau State, where he was allegedly denied immediate medical attention due to non-payment of an admission deposit, despite holding his medical records at the facility.
In a post shared on his X (formerly Twitter) handle at the weekend, Dalung revealed that he fell ill on Wednesday and was taken to the hospital for treatment. However, the hospital staff reportedly refused to provide him with medical care until he made an admission deposit payment.
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“I took ill on Wednesday, arrived at the hospital & shortly became unconscious after doctor’s interviews. Was ferried into the emergency ward but abandoned for over 4 hrs due to non-payment of admission deposits,” Dalung wrote.
The former minister stated that he regained partial consciousness later and made the transfer of the deposit before receiving medical attention.
He said. “Regained partial consciousness later did the transfer of deposit, i was then admitted into the ward and given medical attention. This is the hospital that has my medical records.”
Dalung expressed his dismay at the hospital’s treatment, noting that despite holding his medical records from a recent checkup two months prior, he was treated like a stranger due to the non-payment of the deposit.
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“The last medical checkup I did about two months ago was there, but suddenly, I became a stranger because of non-payments of deposits even with the so-called name,” he lamented.
The former minister also shared his concern for the plight of many Nigerians who may have lost their lives due to similar circumstances. “Were it not for partial consciousness to pay the deposits, I would have been Mr. late. Many Nigerians have gone this way. Where is our humanity?” he questioned.
Dalung’s experience has reignited discussions about the state of healthcare in Nigeria and the ethical dilemmas faced by medical facilities when it comes to balancing financial considerations with the provision of timely and compassionate care.