UBTH partnership with a private laboratory: Innovation, not exploitation

By Thomas Zuamo

One of the most debated reforms at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) has been the structured existence of a licensed private laboratory operating within the hospital system.

It is important to clarify that this initiative is not a commercialization agenda. Rather, it represents a carefully regulated Public–Private Partnership (PPP) model designed to improve efficiency in patient management and strengthen diagnostic capacity.

Tertiary healthcare depends heavily on timely and accurate diagnostics. Delays in laboratory results can prolong hospital admission, complicate treatment decisions, increase financial burden on patients, and in some cases, worsen clinical outcomes. Recognizing these realities, UBTH adopted a collaborative model aimed at expanding, not replacing, its existing laboratory services.

The Prof Idia Ize-Iyamu-led management at UBTH remains committed to improving turnaround time, quality assurance, and overall patient experience across all service areas.

As part of this modernisation drive, the Chief Medical Director approved the licensing of a private laboratory to operate within the hospital premises under a regulated PPP framework. The objective was clear: complement and strengthen institutional capacity, not displace it.

Tertiary hospitals across Nigeria face:

• Growing demand for specialized and advanced diagnostics
• Pressure on aging equipment and infrastructure
• The need for modern laboratory technologies

The introduction of the licensed private laboratory was therefore structured to:

• Reduce diagnostic turnaround time
• Decongest existing laboratory workflow
• Expand access to advanced testing technologies
• Minimize service disruption due to equipment downtime
• Provide additional service windows for urgent and specialized cases

The goal is simple and patient-focused: faster results, better clinical decisions, and improved outcomes.

It is essential to state unequivocally:

• The University’s main laboratory remains fully operational and funded.
• Core diagnostic services continue under existing hospital structures.
• The private laboratory operates alongside, not in place of, the institutional laboratory.
• Patients retain the right to utilize available diagnostic pathways within the hospital system.
• The model adopted is one of capacity expansion, not displacement.

The presence of multiple diagnostic pathways strengthens system resilience. In practical terms, this translates to:

• Faster processing of emergency cases
• Reduced backlog during peak periods
• Availability of specialized investigations without referrals outside the hospital vicinity
• Significantly, this has reduced the need for patients to seek laboratory services outside the immediate hospital environment, a situation that previously exposed patients to avoidable risks, delays, and additional costs.

The private laboratory operates under strict hospital oversight, clinical governance standards, and national regulatory compliance requirements. Pricing structures and scope of services are guided by institutional policies and applicable regulatory frameworks.

The intention of management is not to increase financial burden on patients. Rather, it is to improve diagnostic precision, reliability, and access, particularly for critical and time-sensitive conditions.

Healthcare systems thrive when innovation is balanced with accountability. The leadership of UBTH has consistently focused on:

• Infrastructure upgrades
• Acquisition of modern equipment
• Staff welfare and training
• Administrative efficiency
• Expanded diagnostic capability
• Establishment of a fully equipped Public Health Communication Unit to strengthen advocacy and patient engagement
• The licensed laboratory partnership forms part of a broader institutional strategy to position UBTH as a modern, responsive, and patient-centered tertiary hospital.

UBTH remains committed to continuous evaluation, transparency, and constructive stakeholder engagement. Every reform undertaken is guided by one principle: strengthening access, efficiency, and quality of care for all patients, insured and uninsured, privileged and indigent alike.

The laboratory model is therefore an innovation in service delivery, not exploitation, but expansion of capacity in the interest of safer, faster, and more reliable patient care.

Zuamo, a Public Affairs commentator, resides in Benin City