Staff of the University of Benin Teaching hospital have raised the alarm over what they alleged is the privatisation of all services at the hospital by the present Chief Medical Director, Professor Idia Nibokun Ize-Iyamu .

In a petition against the CMD and made available to Whitewatersdigest.com, a staff of the hospital who pleaded anonymity in order not to be victimsed alleged that “the outrageous extortion by the CMD is satanic as almost everywhere in UBTH has been privatised” .

According to the petition, “patients now pay the sum of Fifty-Five thousand (N55,000) Naira for consumables upon admission to a private firm inside the A and E complex as against government subsidized price that was not even up to 20k”

It further alleged that “there is now a private lab (QUALITY LAB) that operates inside UBTH just opposite Accident and Emergency Complex and the price for test there is almost five times the normal UBTH price for lab tests.

“Materials for kidney patients to take dialysis has also been awarded to a private firm called SUDERBELT right inside the renal complex. Currently they are planning to privatise the pharmacy and she has already started it systematically” the petitioners further alleged.

They further warned that “if UBTH continues like this, in less than a year the hospital will stop functioning. Patients are already running away from UBTH as we speak”

Efforts to get the CMD’s reaction to the allegations were unsuccessful as she has not responded to messages sent to her for comment as at the time of filing this reports