Residents seeking healthcare in public hospitals across satellite towns of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have alleged persistent cash-only payment practices.
The claims persist despite the Federal Government’s push for a cashless economy and the increased adoption of electronic payment platforms nationwide.
A survey by reporters found that some patients and caregivers at government-owned hospitals said they were required to pay cash for services, while others claimed receipts were not issued afterwards.
Some respondents further alleged that when cash was unavailable, they were directed to nearby Point-of-Sale (PoS) operators or given private account details for transfers, raising concerns about accountability and transparency.
The development, according to affected patients, has boosted patronage for PoS operators stationed around hospital premises, as relatives scramble to obtain cash for treatment and related expenses.
Mrs Halima Bature alleged that her relative’s emergency admission at Kubwa General Hospital exposed the challenge, as the family was reportedly required to make cash payments throughout the treatment process.
She said cash was demanded for obtaining a hospital card, conducting laboratory tests and securing ward admission, leaving the family with limited options during the emergency.
“All the staff we encountered that night insisted on cash payments. Even to obtain the hospital card, we paid cash.
“When we got to the lab to conduct tests, we paid cash; at the ward, before we were allocated a bed, we paid cash,” she alleged.
Bature further claimed that after exhausting available cash, the family was provided a PoS machine but discovered the account details were not linked to the hospital.
“When we complained, we were told that it was the only way to make payment if we wanted to be treated,” she said.
She also alleged that no receipts were issued for any of the payments, making it difficult to track the transactions afterwards.
At the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Hospital, Karu, Mrs Odunayo Adebanji alleged that she spent about ₦66,000 during her son’s two-day admission and made all payments in cash.
She claimed that despite the volume of payments, no official receipts were issued.
Mr Tayo Akinyemi, another caregiver at the facility, alleged that he paid cash for an ear swab procedure and later paid ₦10,000 directly to the doctor for ear flushing.
“I was shocked that a hospital this big and which belongs to a reputable organisation like Customs would be operating like this.
“I was asked to go downstairs and use PoS to make withdrawals. On getting back downstairs, I discovered that there were so many PoS operators around, ready to give you whatever amount you required at a charge,” he said.
Akinyemi said the experience left him questioning whether such practices were standard procedures or isolated incidents involving individual staff.
“I was told everything has to be in cash. It is totally unfair because it negates what the government is preaching about a cashless economy,” he said.
However, not all patients reported similar experiences. Some insisted that payments were made through official channels and properly documented.
Mrs Glory Yamput, whose relative received treatment at the NCS Hospital, said she paid through approved procedures and received receipts for all transactions.
At Bwari General Hospital, Mrs Vera Yunana alleged that she repeatedly resisted demands for cash payments when her sister-in-law was admitted for childbirth.
She claimed hospital personnel initially requested ₦14,000 in cash and recorded the amount on a piece of carton. When she asked for the hospital’s account details, her request was allegedly resisted.
After doctors recommended a Caesarean section, the family was informed that an additional ₦78,000 would be required in cash. Yunana said she refused and insisted on obtaining an account number.
She alleged that a nurse and doctor eventually provided a private account number she believed was not officially linked to the hospital. Nurses on different shifts also repeatedly requested between ₦1,000 and ₦3,000 in cash for drugs after the surgery, without written prescriptions or official receipts.
She said attempts to report the matter to management were unsuccessful, although she later heard that digital payment options had been introduced.
Several other users of Bwari General Hospital said they had never encountered demands to pay into private accounts.
Mr Nurudeen Balogun, who was receiving treatment for tooth pain, said he had used the hospital several times without such requests.
Imam Mufutau Adewale, who brought an emergency patient to the facility on August 30, said treatment began immediately without any payment being demanded beforehand.
“A few days ago, I brought an emergency case here and the patient was attended to thoroughly without even paying any dime. So I have never witnessed such a thing here,” he said.
Imam Olesin Abdulazeez also said he transferred funds directly into the hospital’s account and had never been asked to use a private account.
“I have never been asked to transfer money into a private account.
“However, there is no smoke without fire. I cannot say if such a thing had happened to some people, maybe in the night or whatever. I am only talking for myself,” he said.
Mrs Mercy John and Mrs Ihuoma Pearl, both patients at Kubwa General Hospital, similarly dismissed the allegations, saying they had never encountered such demands.
It was observed that PoS operators around hospitals in Nyanya, Kubwa, Karu, Kuje and Bwari were recording significant patronage from patients and caregivers seeking cash.
Mr Tony Abu, a PoS operator near Nyanya General Hospital, attributed the growth of his business partly to hospital users.
“I will not lie, but I want to appreciate God for the increase in my business.
“Since I came here, my business has been booming because many people from the hospital patronise me, especially when they want to buy or pay for their drugs, food, recharge cards and others.
“This is one of the things that encourages me to always stay put here,” he said.
Miss Kelly Inang, another PoS operator near a hospital in Karu, said the business generated enough income to support her education, with daily profits ranging between ₦5,000 and ₦7,000.
Mr Abdullahi Idachaba, operating near Nyanya General Hospital, said hospital locations generally attracted higher customer traffic than conventional commercial areas.
A staff member of Nyanya General Hospital, who spoke anonymously, alleged that cash payments remained the prevailing practice for many services.
“This is the trend here. Even if somebody is dying, the relative must present cash to purchase or pay for any services rendered here.
“Even down to antenatal and needle purchase, we collect cash,” the staff member said.
Miss Anne Mitchell, who received treatment after being hit by a vehicle, alleged that her uncle obtained cash from a PoS operator outside the gate and that no receipt was issued.
Meanwhile, PoS operators outside hospital environments reported declining patronage, attributing it to growing competition from traders offering similar services within markets.
Mrs Agnes Egwuda, who operates at Nyanya Market, said many traders now provided cash withdrawal services, reducing the number of customers using dedicated PoS operators.
Mr Moses Ikenna also described business as slow and expressed interest in relocating to a hospital environment where traffic appeared stronger.
Responding to the allegations, authorities of Bwari and Kubwa General Hospitals denied knowledge of any payment diversion scheme and requested affected patients to provide evidence.
Dr Ibrahim Mijinyawa, Medical Director of Bwari General Hospital, represented by Dr Kayode Oshodi, said management had not received any formal complaint.
“This may be speculation or people saying things that are not really founded, but as far as the management is concerned, we are not aware of this allegation.
“If there are people that have experienced such, they can come forward and we will investigate the allegation,” he said.
He said the hospital remained willing to investigate any credible complaint and encouraged patients to use available reporting channels, including anonymous submissions.
“We are more than eager to investigate such a thing. But to our notice, up to this moment, there hasn’t been any complaint of such.
“There is a suggestion box in our facility here; they should bring the complaint forward. The complainant might want to be anonymous. Just remove your name and state the date and time such things happen,” he said.
At Kubwa General Hospital, Medical Director Dr Emmanuel Musa also challenged those making the allegations to present verifiable evidence.
“We have not seen any evidence to this. We will be happy to make some people scapegoat if evidence can be brought up,” Musa said.
He urged affected individuals to approach management directly, noting that mechanisms already existed to receive complaints.
“We are pleading with affected individuals to come up with proof. Everyone has the right to enter the MD’s office to lay their complaint,” he said.
Musa added that notices warning patients against making payments to individuals were prominently displayed in the facility.
“It is boldly written at the entrance of some offices in this hospital, ‘Do not pay money to anyone.’
“We have a public complaint box where people can channel their grievances, so they should come up with evidence,” he said.
The Nigeria Customs Service acknowledged concerns surrounding payment processes at its Karu hospital and said efforts were underway to strengthen electronic payment infrastructure.
Deputy Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada, the service spokesperson, said the hospital was established primarily for Customs personnel but later opened to the public as part of the service’s Corporate Social Responsibility initiative.
He said the NCS remained committed to transparency and accountability and was working to align hospital payment processes with the national cashless policy.
“In full alignment with the Federal Government’s Cashless Policy, the NCS Management previously initiated steps to deploy electronic payment infrastructure integrated with the SystemSpecs (Remita) platform to interface directly with the Treasury Single Account (TSA).”
He explained that implementation required administrative adjustments because of the hospital’s revolving fund arrangements. The NCS Accounts Unit and Remita were finalising the deployment of PoS terminals across major service points.
“The NCS Accounts Unit, in active collaboration with Remita, is finalising the deployment of PoS terminals across key service points to ensure smooth, cashless transactions for all patients,” Maiwada said.
On allegations of non-issuance of receipts, he said established procedures require that every payment be properly receipted.
“Standard administrative protocol mandates the immediate issuance of official receipts for every paid service,” he said.
Maiwada explained that emergency and night-shift payments could be documented temporarily pending reconciliation when accounting personnel were unavailable.
“To prevent service disruptions during off-peak hours, emergency and night-shift admissions are documented via an interim ledger system when regular accounting personnel are off-duty.
“All night-shift transactions are reconciled and formally receipted at the start of the next business morning,” he said.
He reassured patients and caregivers that the service remained committed to delivering transparent, accountable and technology-driven healthcare services.
For many patients, however, the issue extends beyond convenience, raising questions about accountability, traceability of payments, emergency access to treatment and adherence to cashless payment reforms.
For PoS operators clustered around public hospitals, each cash-based transaction translates into additional patronage, turning healthcare-related cash demands into a significant commercial opportunity.
