The short answer
Get a written quote before you pay anything, so you know the total and what it includes, then agree who pays which part: you, your HMO, or family at home or abroad. On Mezo, a surgery quote is paid online, as a deposit to book and the balance before your surgery date, and nothing is paid at the counter. A knee replacement, for example, is from ₦5,500,000 all-in for one knee.
Book a knee replacement, from ₦5,500,000Medically reviewed by Dr Debo Odulana, Founder and Chief Executive, Mezo. Last reviewed . This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Care is decided with you after an examination.
Step by step
- 1
Get the written quote
Ask for the full price in writing, with what it includes and the date it is valid until.
- 2
Check what your HMO will pay
If you have a plan, ask your HMO in writing what it pays for this operation and what you will pay yourself.
- 3
Agree who pays what
Decide as a family who pays the deposit and who pays the balance, and share the quote link with everyone paying.
- 4
Pay the deposit online
Pay the deposit to book. Keep the confirmation.
- 5
Pay the balance before the day
Pay the balance on the same quote page before your surgery date, so nothing is owed at the hospital.
You are not alone in paying for this yourself
Most health spending in Nigeria still comes straight from people's own pockets: 58.3% of all health spending in 2024, according to the National Health Accounts reported by Gazette Nigeria in December 2025. Most families planning an operation are working out the money themselves, often with help from relatives. A clear plan makes that easier and keeps everyone's trust.
Start with a written quote, not a deposit
Do not pay a deposit on a verbal figure. Ask for a written quote that names the operation, what it includes, what it does not, and how long the price holds. Check whether it covers the surgeon, anaesthetist, theatre, consumables, blood, the nights on the ward, drugs to take home and the follow-up visit. Our guide on what an all-in surgery price should include has the full list.
On Mezo, the written all-in quote follows the surgeon's assessment and shows the date it is valid until, so the family has time to gather the money before the price needs checking again.
How a Mezo surgery quote is paid
Your quote has its own page, which you can open from the link you are sent. It shows the full price, the deposit and what is included. You pay the deposit online to book. Once the deposit is in, your date is agreed and the balance can be paid on the same page, before your surgery date. A text message confirms each payment. Nothing is paid in cash at the hospital counter.
If you are using an HMO, the deposit is your own part and Mezo asks your HMO to authorise the rest. If the HMO approves less, or says no, what it does not pay is added to your balance on the same page, before the day.
Paying in parts
A surgery quote is paid in two parts, the deposit and then the balance. If you need time to gather the balance, tell your coordinator early, before you agree a date.
Some other Mezo bills, such as a care plan for a parent at home, can be set up so the family pays in instalments from one link. Each person pays the part they can, from a set minimum up to what is left, and the link shows what has been paid so far. Ask your coordinator whether your bill can be paid this way.
When family abroad is paying
Pay directly online rather than sending cash to a relative to carry to the hospital. Sending cash is how deposits go missing and how families lose track of what has been paid for. The payment is in naira, so a card from the UK, US or Canada is converted by your bank. If your bank blocks the payment, call them to approve it and try again.
Share the quote link with the person paying, so everyone sees the same price and the same receipts. Choose one trusted person on the ground for the hospital day. Our guide on arranging surgery for a parent from abroad covers the rest.
Lower-cost routes
If the full price is out of reach, ask about these before you borrow: your HMO or employer plan; Ilera Eko, the Lagos State scheme, if you are enrolled; free caesarean section for women who cannot afford it, run by the NHIA in participating hospitals; and the itemised fees at a government hospital. Our guide comparing government and private hospital costs has the reported figures.
Warning signs when paying
- A request to pay into someone's personal account rather than the hospital's
- No receipt, or a receipt without the hospital's name and the amount
- A deposit demanded before any doctor has seen you
- Pressure to pay today to keep a "slot"
- A price that changes once you are admitted, with no written reason
What it costs on Mezo
Billed as one line, not a stack of surprise charges.
Common questions
Can I pay for surgery in instalments?
On Mezo, a surgery quote is paid in two parts: a deposit to book, then the balance before your surgery date. Some other Mezo bills, such as a care plan at home, can be paid in instalments by the family from one link. Ask your coordinator what applies to yours.
Can my son in the UK pay for my operation directly?
Yes. He can pay online with his card from the quote link. The payment is in naira and his bank converts it. If the bank blocks it, he should call the bank to approve the payment and try again.
Do I pay anything at the hospital on the day?
On Mezo, what your written quote includes is paid online before the day, and nothing is paid at the counter. Ask your coordinator about anything the quote does not include, before you are admitted.
How much is the deposit?
The deposit is set on your written quote, next to the full price, so you see both before you pay anything.
What happens to my money if the operation is cancelled?
Ask this before you pay anywhere. On Mezo, when a paid operation is cancelled, the money paid through Mezo is refunded to the card or account it came from.
The procedures
Related health guides
Read next
More patient guides
Start with the price in writing
Tell us the operation and whether you will pay cash or through your HMO. Asking is free. A coordinator calls within one business day, and the written all-in quote follows the surgeon's assessment, so you know the full price before you commit.
Get a fixed surgery quoteSources and further reading
The guidelines and patient information this page is checked against. Care in Nigeria follows the same evidence; what differs is the price and where it is done.
- Out-of-pocket health spending in Nigeria fell to 58.3% in 2024: report. Gazette Nigeria, 21 December 2025, on the National Health Accounts 2023 to 2024, 2025. News report.
- Lagos deploys free health insurance for surgeries, antenatal care, others. BusinessDay, 27 May 2026, 2026. News report.
- NHIA begins nationwide free caesarean sections in over 100 hospitals. Nairametrics, 18 April 2025, 2025. News report.
- Frequently asked questions. National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA). Official publication.
Links last checked 22 October 2026.
Medical disclaimer: This guide is general information and does not replace advice from your own doctor. Where your centre's instructions differ from this guide, follow theirs.