BEVERLY HILLS, October 12, (THEWILL) – President Mohammadu Buhari and the Nigerian Medical Association, (NMA) have been tasked on the multi-billion Naira fraud linked to the public and private health sector.
In the medical fraud scheme controlled by medical doctors and some selected medical centres across the country, doctors ask patients to conduct tests unrelated to their ailments marked by referral letters for the purpose of corrupt enrichment.
The Human and Environmental Development Agenda, (HEDA) opened up the new flank in its impressive anti corruption campaign on Sunday.
In a petition addressed to President Buhari and the NMA, HEDA Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju called for an immediate probe of medical doctors, health workers, laboratories and hospitals associated with the large scale crime.
“This is an important threshold. Corruption in the health sector has a direct impact on human lives. This is a scam that if unchecked will worsen the fatality rate in Nigerian hospitals. It’s a kind of corruption that is almost akin to sucking the blood of fellow human beings by those expected to save human lives”, HEDA said.
Affected Medical laboratories allegedly involved in the kickback are Me Cure Healthcare, Echolab, Afriglobal, VCare Diagnostics, Vedic Lifecare Hospital, Clinix Healthcare, Union Diagnostics and SYNLAB
The petition was informed by media reports of a criminal, multi-billion Naira fee-splitting rebate scheme in the healthcare sector in which medical laboratories hike the cost of medical tests by 20 to 35%. This is later paid to the referring doctors or hospitals thereby defrauding patients, private and public institutions through a well organised cartel.
The report had stated that doctors and hospitals set up unsuspecting customers for medical diagnosis at laboratories they recommend to which doctors prescribe tests that patients do not need just for kickbacks.
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Suraju said the rebate or referral scam is appalling and should be visited with immediate sanction. “The medical profession is a noble profession; the profession is being dented with this outrageous line of behaviour. According to the report, the rebate or cut scheme has remained entrenched in the healthcare sector, swindling patients of wads of Naira every year, in blatant disregard of the ethical concern and the criminal implication of the illicit practice”, he added.
The anti- corruption group said the Rules of the Professional Conduct for Medical Laboratory Scientist, Laboratory Technicians and Laboratory Assistants (2018) prohibits deceit and extortion of patients. The group emphasized that the fraud scheme violates Section 17, 33, 36 and 65 of the Rules.
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