Doctors of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) are required to pay an accommodation fee of N200,000 to secure accommodation at the Officers Quarters in the Hospital House.

In a statement on 14 October 2024, hospital management announced that intending occupiers must now pay, this fee, described as an “Annual Maintenance Charge”, has sparked significant outcry in the medical community, raising concerns about the financial burden on us. medical professionals.

Management stated that “Intending occupants are only required to pay an annual maintenance fee of N200,000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) and submit proof of payment to the Real Estate Unit.”

This fee is non-negotiable and failure to comply with the process renders the occupant unauthorized.

Doctors request an urgent review

Nigerian doctors have sounded the alarm about this policy, calling for a review.

• In a post from @Nigerian_Doctor on X, they expressed concern about the impact of this tax on new House officers. Traditionally, accommodation at UCTH, like other federal hospitals, is part of the employment package offered by the government.
• “This hospital is funded by the Federal Government and the accommodation is meant to be a free incentive for the house officers just like other hospitals. It is unfair to ask new hires to cough up N200,000 before they have earned a salary.” the post said.
• Doctors reportedly offered to pay the fee through monthly salary deductions to ease the financial burden, but this request was rejected by hospital management, leaving many new doctors stranded.

“We are calling for an urgent investigation into this accommodation allocation fee if it is not sanctioned by the federal government.

“However, if UCTH follows ‘orders from above’, we advocate for consideration of monthly deductions,“It says in the statement.

Management defends policy

In its statement, UCTH management clarified that the fee is non-negotiable and failure to pay it before the 24-hour approval window expires will result in the new doctors being deemed illegal tenants.

• “Before making the payment, doctors must obtain approval, which is only valid for 24 hours. After presenting proof of payment to the Real Estate Unit, they are issued an allocation letter, giving them full rights to move into the allocated room”
• “Intending occupiers must pay an annual maintenance fee of N200,000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) and submit proof of payment to the REAL ESTATE UNIT.”
• The statement also pointed out that the Real Estate Unit is responsible for enforcing accommodation rules, including the authority to evict any doctor found using the rooms for unauthorized purposes.

“There is an estate office in the House Officers Quarters with Estate Unit staff stationed there,” the statement said, adding that doctors must hand in their keys at the end of the 12-month rental period or face additional penalties.

Request investigation

The introduction of this charge called for an investigation to determine whether the charge was sanctioned by the federal government or an isolated decision by hospital management.

Many in the medical community are calling on key health leaders, including the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) and the Federal Ministry of Health, to urgently review the policy.

The current situation has raised wider concerns about the treatment of new doctors in Nigeria’s healthcare system and the need for policies to support rather than burden them as they begin their careers.

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