The Hidden Crisis in Nigeria’s Public Hospitals: A Call for Accountability

By  S. C. Uzoechi

One of the most damaging yet under-addressed challenges facing Nigeria’s healthcare system is the neglect of public hospital duties by some healthcare providers, particularly doctors—who divert their time and attention to private practice, often at the expense of the vulnerable citizens relying on public health services.

The Danger of Abandoning Public Hospital Duties

Patient Neglect and Increased Mortality:

Patients in public hospitals, many of whom cannot afford private care, are left waiting endlessly, misdiagnosed, or under-treated.

Life-threatening conditions are missed, complications worsen, and in some tragic cases, patients die waiting for doctors who are never present.

Erosion of Trust in Public Healthcare:

When people lose faith in public hospitals, they turn to unregulated private clinics, traditional healers, or self-medication, leading to worsened health outcomes.

This weakens the credibility of Nigeria’s entire health system and deepens public distrust.

Waste of Public Resources and Infrastructure:

Government invests billions in hospital infrastructure, drugs, and equipment that go underutilized because doctors are not present to use them.

Taxpayer funds meant to support the poor end up subsidizing empty buildings and idle equipment.

Unfair Burden on the Few Dedicated Staff:

The few doctors and nurses who stay committed to their public duties face overwhelming workloads, burnout, and frustration, eventually driving them out of the system.

Breach of Ethical and Professional Oaths:

Doctors swore to prioritize patient welfare and act with integrity. Abandoning public hospitals for personal financial gain is not just unethical—it is a betrayal of this solemn promise.

A Call to Action: Public Awareness and Policy Reform

This issue is not just a health sector problem—it is a national emergency. The public must be awakened and policy-makers must act.

1. Public Demand for Accountability:

Citizens should begin asking questions: Where are the doctors during official working hours? What is being done to enforce attendance? Who is monitoring public service delivery?

2. Strengthen Oversight Mechanisms:

Install electronic attendance systems, real-time monitoring, and public feedback platforms in hospitals.

Require doctors to log patient consultations and justify absences.

3. Regulate Dual Practice More Strictly:

Doctors should be permitted to own or work in private facilities only if they meet a clearly monitored quota of hours in public service.

Policies should penalize habitual absenteeism with suspension, salary cuts, or revocation of medical licenses.

4. Empower Hospital Management Boards:

Hospital administrators should have the autonomy to discipline and report absentee doctors without fear of retaliation or political interference.

5. Civic Education and Media Engagement:

Media, civil society, and influencers must amplify this issue through stories, reports, and documentaries showing real lives affected by medical absenteeism.

Health reform should become a central topic in political campaigns and community discussions.

In Conclusion

We are not against doctors owning private hospitals. But we must insist that they fulfill their duty in the public hospitals where they are paid by the Nigerian people. Nigeria cannot afford to let its most vulnerable citizens be abandoned in crowded waiting rooms while public servants chase private profit.

We call on all Nigerians citizens, media, NGOs, religious leaders, and policy-makers, to demand integrity, accountability, and reform. This is not just a healthcare issue. It is a moral one.