Mixed Reactions as Kwara Govt Bans Cash in State Hospitals, Residents Question Emergency Care Access
- Kwara State has implemented a cashless policy in all government hospitals, prompting mixed public reactions
- Residents raised concerns about emergency care, elderly access, and network reliability under the new system
- The state emphasised KWIRS-approved electronic payments only, stressing transparency, accountability, and revenue assurance
Reactions have continued to trail the Kwara state government’s decision to ban cash payments in all state-owned hospitals, following the announcement of a compulsory cashless policy by the Kwara State Hospitals Management Board (KW-HMB).
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The policy, which was announced on Thursday, January 22, took immediate effect across all government hospitals in the state.
In a public announcement signed by the Executive Secretary of the Board, Dr Abdulraheem Malik, the KW-HMB said the directive aligns with the Federal Government of Nigeria’s Cashless Policy.
According to the statement, all payments for services in Kwara State government hospitals must now be made strictly through the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KWIRS) using approved channels, which include KWIRS Point-of-Sale (POS) machines and bank transfers to KWIRS.
The Board warned that cash payments, as well as transfers to individuals, hospital staff, or any other accounts outside KWIRS, are prohibited.
The statement noted that the policy is aimed at promoting transparency, accountability, revenue assurance, and efficient service delivery, while also urging members of the public to report any hospital staff demanding cash or requesting transfers into personal accounts.
What do residents say about KWIRS implementation?
While some residents have welcomed the policy as a step in the right direction, others have expressed concerns about its possible impact on poor and vulnerable patients, especially during emergencies.
A resident, Al-Ameer, who spoke to Legit.ng described the policy as a good development but called for better orientation of KWIRS personnel stationed at the Kwara State University Teaching Hospital (KWASUTH), formerly known as General Hospital, Ilorin.
“This is a good development. The next thing is for the government to help us to orient the KWIR personnel stationed at the Kwara State University Teaching Hospital, particularly those in the pharmacy section, on this new development. They always denied our bank transfers, which is the easiest way for us to pay. Many times they do complain of no network on our ATM, forcing us to pay by cash,” he said.
Another resident, Kareem Ridwan, appealed to the government to reconsider the financial burden placed on patients in government hospitals.
“Here is a clearer, more polished version while preserving the original meaning."
“The hospital management and the government need to sit together and find a better way to finance the hospitals. Government hospitals should not be treated as centres for commercial transactions. Hospitals exist primarily to provide services, not to operate like marketplaces, ” he wrote.
Ridwan further argued that introducing KWIRS into government hospitals could worsen access to healthcare for the poor.
“The introduction of KWIRS into government hospitals is not a good idea. Government hospitals should be largely free, except perhaps for drugs. Please consider the poor people. Some cannot even afford two square meals a day, how then are they expected to pay medical bills, especially during emergencies?” he added.
Asimiyu Ademola also expressed reservations about the full implementation of the policy.
“This policy should not be fully implemented because the hospital is not a regular place we visit to transact business. What of emergencies, illiteracy, mostly our elderly ones, and our people who rear animals? The hospital is not a place to implement a full cashless policy,” he said.
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Ogundeji warned that the policy could lead to unintended consequences if not carefully managed.
“Cashless transactions in hospitals will increase the mortality rate, in my view. Think about the Okada driver who needs to take his child or wife to the hospital, or a market woman who needs to take their relatives to the hospital, maybe as an emergency or otherwise. Do they need to go deposit their proceeds in the bank first before seeking medical help?” he asked.
He also raised concerns about network availability, stressing that people’s health and lives should not be compromised.
Are emergency services ready for network challenges?
Similarly, Yusuf urged the authorities to consider elderly people, rural dwellers, and traders.
“Hope the Kwara State Hospital Management Board thinks about our old-age parents, rural communities, and traders. Though it will expose a lot of atrocities, we need to consider emergency attention,” he said.
Mustapha Abdulazeez appealed for reduced hospital charges, especially for elderly patients who lack sufficient resources.
“The government should try to make things easier for old-age people who can’t afford the payment in the government hospital. The government needs to take care of them by reducing payments to a bearable minimum in the govt hospital,” he wrote.
Another resident, Sulyman Issa, questioned how emergencies would be handled in the face of network challenges.
“What about network issues in case of an emergency. The government needs to be proactive rather than active,” he said.
Despite the mixed reactions, the KW-HMB maintained that only payments made through KWIRS-approved channels would be recognised in all state government hospitals.
As the policy takes effect, many residents are calling on the state government to introduce safeguards that will ensure emergency patients, the elderly, and low-income earners are not denied access to urgent medical care.
State bans cash, cheque tax payments
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that a Nigerian state government has announced a ban on cash and cheque payments for taxes and levies, effective January 2026, as part of efforts to block revenue leakages.
The state commissioner explained that all tax payments must now be made through approved electronic platforms, noting that the policy is designed to improve transparency, accountability, and real-time tracking of government revenue.
Authorities said the move will curb diversion of funds, strengthen internally generated revenue, and align the state’s tax system with modern digital practices, urging residents and businesses to comply ahead of the deadline
Source: Legit.ng
