UBTH ICU deposit doubled to N1 million, sparking public criticism in Edo State over hospital charges and service accessibility

The University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) has doubled its Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission deposit from N500,000 to N1 million, prompting widespread reactions from residents across Edo State.

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The increase was disclosed in an internal memorandum dated 30 January 2026 from the office of the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC). The memo approved an upward review of ward consumables and admission deposits across the hospital.

Other revised deposits include N150,000 for medical wards, N200,000 for private wards, N100,000 for day-case admissions, N150,000 for orthopaedic wards, N200,000 for neuro wards, and N150,000 for obstetrics and gynaecology wards.

Ward consumables were also adjusted, with charges now set at N20,000 per week for patients in the Labour and Emergency Complex and N15,000 per week for ordinary wards.

The memo stated that the review was necessary due to prevailing funding realities and to promote efficiency, reduce waste, and improve procurement of medical consumables.

The decision has drawn criticism from residents on social media, many describing the increases as “astronomical” and raising concerns over the reported privatisation of laboratory services at the Accident and Emergency (A&E) unit.

Responding, Osaretin Iyen, Head of the Public Relations and Information Unit at UBTH, clarified that the private laboratory service at the A&E unit was introduced to complement existing hospital laboratories and not to replace core diagnostic services. He highlighted that UBTH operates over ten functional laboratories across the facility.

Iyen explained that the initiative aims to enhance patient care and safety, particularly for critically ill patients whose survival depends on immediate and uninterrupted laboratory access.

“This is especially when there are challenges with the UBTH laboratory in the Accident and Emergency unit,” he said.

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The hospital emphasised that the adjustments were made in the interest of sustainable operations and improved service delivery for patients requiring urgent and specialised care.