Investigation Uncovers Massive Patients Referral Racketeering By Nigerian Doctors, Hospitals, Diagnostic Centres

An investigation has exposed a massive referral kickback scheme showing how the country’s top diagnostic service providers, medical doctors and hospitals steal billions of naira yearly from unsuspecting patients who pay for healthcare out-of-pocket.

The 20 months-long undercover investigation by Premium Times exposed how Nigerian doctors engage in referral of patients to diagnostic centres for medical tests in return for kickbacks. 

The investigation covered the costs of the tests as well as funded the patients’ transportation to the laboratories.

A release sent to THE WHISTLER by Premium Times Managing Editor, Idris Akinbajo, on Sunday, said a series on the outcome of investigation would run this week. 

Akinbajo said shocking and disturbing discoveries were made during the investigation, as almost all the labs paid Premium Times’ reporter, who disguised as a doctor, kickbacks of between 10 per cent and 20 per cent of the cost of each test conducted. None of them tried to verify if the reporter was indeed a doctor as he claimed.

One medical laboratory service provider even gives doctors loyalty tokens for every referral sent to it, which doctors can use to purchase telephone recharge cards, utility bills, spa, and vacations. The loyal tokens also qualify doctors to obtain car loans and mortgages backed by the diagnostic firm. 

This fraudulent kickback scheme does not only contravene extant regulations, it also places an additional financial burden on sick Nigerians 90 per cent of who pay for medical expenses out of pocket.

“We are shocked by the outcome of this investigation,” Akinbajo said, adding that, “We hope that relevant authorities will act swiftly to halt this bribery that is clearly overburdening patients and endangering health care in our country.”