The Chief Medical Director, National Hospital, Abuja, Muhammad Mahmud, has said that the hospital is seeking a Public-Private Partnership model of funding to be able to function optimally.
Mahmud spoke on Monday in Abuja, at a news briefing to commemorate the hospital’s 25th anniversary.
He said that hospitals do not have to fully depend on the government to fund their projects, which is why private funding should come in to augment what the hospitals get.
“We can also collaborate with funding sources out of the country to do that, this PPP could also be public-private, or even private-private funding.
“So, the National Hospital is also looking seriously into such funding and looking for outside donors or philanthropists to assist.
“With this, we are also calling on Nigerians who are well-to-do, or in a position to come to the aid of each of our hospitals and most especially National Hospital because it is the pride of the country,” he said.
According to Mahmud, the National Hospital is supposed to be the apex hospital in Nigeria and the aim is to take it to the level where even the tertiary hospitals will refer patients that are difficult for treatment.
Mahmud said most of the hospital’s revenue goes into power generation, adding that many of the hospital’s equipment have to be on electricity 24-hour a day to avert casualties.
He, however, said that the recent intervention by the government reducing electricity tariff by 50% for hospitals was commendable and a welcome development.
On the alleged suspension of service to National Health Insurance Authority subscribers, he said that the hospital has never stopped treating NHIA patients.
He added that 70% of the patients of the hospital were subscribers to NHIA.
