Private Hospitals In Nigeria Are Slaughter Slabs – Afe Babalola, ABUAD Founder

By Ayodele Oni

Legal icon and founder Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, (ABUAD) Aare Afe Babalola, (SAN) has  called for a review of laws guiding establishment of private hospitals in the country.

According to him, this became necessary because of quality of most private hospitals in Nigeria which are not more than slaughter slabs.

The founder of  ABUAD clarified that  “there is nothing wrong in doctors establishing private hospitals, it is their legitimate right.”

While speaking at the  64th National Council on Health Meeting held in Ado Ekiti, Babalola noted that “There is nothing wrong in doctors establishing private hospitals. it is their legitimate right.

“But I am worried about the state and performance of our private hospitals today. Most of them are not better than mere slaughter slabs. My experience in the last two years shows that patients, who otherwise would have died were rushed to quality hospitals at the point of death where their lives were saved.

“I therefore suggest that the laws establishing private hospitals should be amended to ensure that they procure quality medical equipment. Doctors should also be advised to come together to form partnerships similar to cooperative societies to enable them establish quality private medical outfits.

“I also advise this body to recommend salaries and allowance comparable to what is paid in other countries for our doctors.

“Here in ABUAD, when the “ja pa” syndrome became so prevalent in Nigeria, we had to top the salaries and emolument of our staff by 35%, over and above what obtains in public universities. You know what? Everybody is happy, committed to what he is doing.”

Speaking  on the deplorable condition of roads in Ekiti, the legal icon  raised the hope on the functionality of the Airport  in Ekiti State stressing  that efforts were underway to make project functional.

“When Governor Segun Oni was at the saddle at Ekiti State, together with him, we went to the then President Goodluck Jonathan and impressed it on him on the need to have an airport in Ekiti State. He agreed with us. He then listed Ekiti State together with Gombe, Bayelsa and Delta States as four states that will have Airports.

“As a matter of fact, the airports in Bayelsa, Gombe and Delta are functional but the one earmarked for Ekiti State was frustrated by the then Governor Kayode Fayemi who publicly declared that an airport was not his priority.

“But things are changing for the better. The present Governor of Ekiti State,

a gentleman in every sense of the word, Mr. Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, is changing things for the better and I give kudos to him.

“With his efforts and the cooperation of this University, Ekiti State will have a functional airport in the next few months. And this will enable our Doctors and other Nigerians have access to our internationally reputed university and our well-equipped 400-bed ABUAD Multi System Hospital.”