Abstract
The environmental degradation following crude oil exploration in the Niger Delta has resulted in poverty for local rural dwellers. For those who are ill, if herbal treatments and/or self-medication with orthodox drugs are unsuccessful, the only alternative is expensive medical treatment in clinics. Surgical patients in a rural clinic may have to stay beyond than the normal 7 days if they are unable to pay their hospital bill; because this limits bed availability, there is an impacts on the hospital's economic management. This study aimed to determine the pattern of hospital bill payment among rural surgical patients in a rural Nigerian community, including the sources of finance for bill payment, in order to determine ways to resolve this issue. This cross-sectional study was conducted in a rural community in the Niger Delta area (Bethesda Clinic Ngo) over 5 years (2005-2009). In the 5 year study period, 3712 patients were seen, of which 229 were surgical patients who consented to the study. Their ages ranged from 4 to 97 years (mean 45.6 ± 13.5 years) and most were fish farmers (79.91%), secondary-school leavers (56.33%) and of the Christian religion (86.03%). The association of these characteristics with a greater than 7 day hospital stay was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The most prevalent surgical procedure was herniorrhaphy but the longest staying patients were those who had an ectopic pregnancy (23.32 ± 7.52 days), cesarean section (19.51 ± 6.73 days), appendectomy (18.46 ± 6.82 days) and exploratory laparotomy (17.33 ± 8.32 days). The hospital bill ranged from US$33.3 to $500, with a mean of $105.7 ± 0.043. Their sources of finance for the hospital bill were multiple but mainly personal savings (71.18%). Few (3.06%) had knowledge of the National Health Insurance Scheme, but when informed about it 84.28% were willing to enroll. The sources of finance for payment of hospital bills were multiple but the most common were personal savings and family members.
Highlights
The environmental degradation following crude oil exploration in the Niger Delta has resulted in poverty for local rural dwellers
The findings in this study suggest that sociodemographic characteristics are significantly associated with long stay following hospital admission while, surprisingly, the size of the hospital bill is not
This study showed that the sources of payment for medical bills may be multiple but the most common were from personal savings and family members
Summary
The environmental degradation following crude oil exploration in the Niger Delta has resulted in poverty for local rural dwellers. For those who are ill, if herbal treatments and/or self-medication with orthodox drugs are unsuccessful, the only alternative is expensive medical treatment in clinics. Results: In the 5 year study period, 3712 patients were seen, of which 229 were surgical patients who consented to the study Their ages ranged from 4 to 97 years (mean 45.6±13.5 years) and most were fish farmers (79.91%), secondary-school leavers (56.33%) and of the Christian religion (86.03%). The ‘oil boom’ has become ‘oil doom’, and today life in the rural Niger delta is one of hunger, poverty and injustice[4]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
