I believe that I am not alone in feeling distressed about the
situation of healthcare in Nigeria .
Everywhere you look, the problems stare you on the face.
In the public health care space, you face poor
infrastructure, old or inoperative equipment and generally, poor attitude.
*Buhari |
Even skill and competency levels are often
suspect. If you have taken a seriously ill patient to our public health
facilities – primary, secondary or tertiary institutions, you will know that
many more people are healed by faith in Nigeria than by medical care. If you go to the private healthcare institutions, may be infrastructure and
equipment may be better, attitude and skills are subject to national averages.
Additionally, in all cases, affordability
remains a key limiting factor. Since managed care and health insurance are
still in their infancy or rather has remained in a state of stultified growth,
most Nigerians have to deposit cash before they can be attended to or admitted
in hospitals.
If you have no cash, then chances are that you
will depend on faith.
Then, there is a large grey market that spreads from the Mallam trying to sell you “burantasi” at the filling station, to the unlicensed “doctor” hanging a stethoscope and trying to diagnose “staphylococcal” infections to the illiterate medicine dealer who is mixing you a concoction of black and red capsules and yellow tabs from his illegal and ramshackle kiosk for the treatment of malaria and typhoid, pretending to be a “chemist.”
Then, there is a large grey market that spreads from the Mallam trying to sell you “burantasi” at the filling station, to the unlicensed “doctor” hanging a stethoscope and trying to diagnose “staphylococcal” infections to the illiterate medicine dealer who is mixing you a concoction of black and red capsules and yellow tabs from his illegal and ramshackle kiosk for the treatment of malaria and typhoid, pretending to be a “chemist.”
Meanwhile, on certain TV and radio stations
you are daily assaulted by all kinds of herbalists who claim to heal everything
from HIV/AIDS to prostate cancer.
Many are deceived and are despatched to early
grave in a largely unregulated or poorly regulated healthcare environment. The licensed healthcare professionals are busy squabbling and fighting for tuff
and freebees while quacks are taking over the market and causing mayhem.
All over the world focus has shifted to
preventive and patient care, necessitating an enhanced professional
specialisation and inter-disciplinary collaboration among healthcare
professionals.
Unfortunately, in Nigeria , this global development
seems to be opposed or resisted by some professional groups, thereby denying
the patient of the benefits, leading to preventable mortalities and
morbidities.
We then end up with one of the most miserable health statistics in the world in infant mortality, maternal maternity, under- five mortality; HIV/AIDS prevalence rate and life expectancy malaria and seasonal cerebrospinal meningitis are still ravaging us and we remain one of the world’s last bastion for poliomyelitis, Yellow Fever, Lassa fever and Dengue Fever.
We then end up with one of the most miserable health statistics in the world in infant mortality, maternal maternity, under- five mortality; HIV/AIDS prevalence rate and life expectancy malaria and seasonal cerebrospinal meningitis are still ravaging us and we remain one of the world’s last bastion for poliomyelitis, Yellow Fever, Lassa fever and Dengue Fever.
It must, however, be admitted that some
improvements have occurred over some time but only in spurts.
During the days of Prof. Olikoye Ransome-Kuti
as Health minister, he refocused the nation on Primary Health care and certain
statistics improved.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo seemed
determined to equip our tertiary institutions and he engaged one of his friends
that dumped sophisticated equipment in hospitals that were not ready to receive
them, leaving some of the equipment in crates up till very recently. Following the embarrassing handling of the illness of President Umaru Yar’
Adua, Professor Osotimehin, then Health Minister empanelled a committee of
experts of which yours sincerely was one of them to propose four centres of
medical excellence that would compare with the best in the world and which
would help to reduce medical tourism by Nigerians to Europe, America, China,
India, Egypt, and Dubai, and help remove the shame from Nigeria.
The committee went to work with much
enthusiasm and grit but that effort seemed to have ended with the death of
Yar’Adua and the removal of Osotimehin as minister of Health.
Another spurt occurred when the then
President Goodluck Jonathan set up the SURE-P committee and mandated it to
focus on Primary Healthcare with emphasis on maternal and childcare.
So much happened in that season – Building of
new health centres, rehabilitation and refurbishing of old ones, supply of
essential medicines to health centres across the nation, distribution of
ambulances, employment, training and deployment of nurses and midwives to
several health centres.
But all that seem also to have ended with the
end of Jonathan’s tenure, because I do not get hear much in this direction.
That’s why President Muhammadu Buhari came to power and soon became sick and could not find any health institution good enough to deal with his matter and has had to travel abroad a couple of times, some for extended periods to seek healthcare. Things became extremely embarrassing when the wife and daughter of the President complained openly that the State House clinic which was supposed to be the best specialist outfit inNigeria lacked the most basic of
facilities, drugs and medical consumables.
That’s why President Muhammadu Buhari came to power and soon became sick and could not find any health institution good enough to deal with his matter and has had to travel abroad a couple of times, some for extended periods to seek healthcare. Things became extremely embarrassing when the wife and daughter of the President complained openly that the State House clinic which was supposed to be the best specialist outfit in
And that is despite all the huge annual budget
provisions for the State House Clinic.
If things can be this bad in Aso Rock that
forced the outburst from the president’s family, do we have to show any
surprise if I tell you that there is lack of critical equipment or essential
drugs in the general hospital in my town – Arochukwu.
Many people have died prematurely because they
could not access proper care in Arochukwu and before they could get to Umuahia
through the long and neglected Arochukwu road, they would have run out of
‘vital gas’.
(Thank God, the contract for the road
rehabilitation has recently been awarded by the Federal Government).
Just recently, PMB had to undertake another 10-day medical vacation to theUK and I felt sorry for Nigeria .
Just recently, PMB had to undertake another 10-day medical vacation to the
Three years is long enough time to fix one
hospital in Nigeria
to take care of our President.
If the health of our President is not enough
motivation to take the bull by the horn to create one centre of medical
excellence, then what would?
Yar’Adua was sick while in office and rather
than invest in providing a properly equipped and resourced centre that would
care for him and others, we preferred to play politics with the health of one
of the best men that this country ever produced.
Now another opportunity has been offered us by
nature and it looks to me that we seem poised to miss this too! I am pained.
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