On this page

The first two hours

  • Ask who at the bedside can speak to the doctor, and get the name of the doctor responsible for the case.
  • Ask for the diagnosis and the plan in plain words. Write it down. Ask what would change it.
  • If there is an HMO, make sure the hospital has requested the authorisation code; emergencies are treated first and coded within 48 hours.
  • Ask what deposit the hospital wants and get its account details from the billing office.

The first two days

  • One family member holds the thread. Everyone else gets their update from that person, not from the ward.
  • Ask daily: what has changed, what is the plan for tomorrow, and when is discharge likely.
  • Keep the receipts and the running bill in the member's name.
  • Start the discharge conversation early: what medicines, what follow-up, what they must not do, and who at home will make sure of it.

After discharge

After discharge, medicines can be missed and follow-ups forgotten. Weekly visits can help after a hospital stay, with a registered nurse checking medicines and how the person is living at home, and a Kinkeeper reviewing every report. Follow the discharge team's treatment instructions.

Questions people ask

Should I fly out?

If you can, for the discharge rather than the admission. The admission is handled by the hospital; the weeks after it are handled by whoever is there.

How do I pay the bill from the UK?

Transfer into the hospital's Nigerian bank account by app; see the separate guide below.

Support after a hospital stay

If this is your situation, the page below shows how a Kinship Plan applies to it, with prices.

Support after a hospital stay

Related

Sources

  1. NHIA emergency authorisation rules (Channels TV, April 2025)
  2. Lagos hospital deposits (lagos.cool, May 2026)

Prices in naira are quoted with their date because they move. Where a figure comes from a commercial provider, the source is described rather than named, and nothing on this page recommends a provider.

This page is information, not advice. Kinship wrote it from the sources listed above and checked it on the date shown. It is not medical, legal, financial or insurance advice, and it does not take account of any one person's circumstances. Decisions about treatment belong with the person and their doctor; decisions about money, insurance or immigration with the person and a qualified adviser. Our platform terms apply.