Nigerians Indignant About Healthcare System

The World bank and the World Health Organization have many times surveyed the health care provision in Nigeria and, despite mentioning some visible improvements, concluded that the sector is developed rather poorly.

The reports by these international organizations show that many lives, including those of children and pregnant women, are lost in Nigeria every year – and that many of those deaths could have been prevented had the delivery of primary healthcare services not failed.

It is also true that the quality of healthcare in our country depends on local and regional factors. Whether the institution is publicly or privately owned also plays a large role.

The overall evaluation is harsh. International monitors have revealed a decaying infrastructure of many medical establishments that do not offer all basic services, and do not have all the health personnel, equipment, medical supplies, and pharmaceuticals needed to effectively offer services.

In March this year, stakeholders in the nation's health sector met at the Presidential Summit on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Abuja. Among other things, President Goodluck Jonathan, who was represented by Vice President Reuben Abati, assured Nigerian of the Federal Government's commitment towards providing "equitable, qualitative and universally acceptable healthcare for all Nigerians". Abati, however, also acknowledged in his speech that UHC faces multiple challenges in the path of realizing its full potential: sub-optimal health system characterized by budgetary constraints; inadequate financial protection for the poor; shortage and poor distribution of human resources for health care; and uneven quality of health care services.

The Presidential Summit Declaration on UHC affirmed that health is a fundamental human right and the responsibility of government in assuring the health of all Nigerians. It acknowledged the progress made despite the existing challenges towards attaining UHC in Nigeria through initiatives at all levels of government.

We have asked Nigerians what they thought about the healthcare system in Nigeria, and this is how they reacted.

Samuel Okpousung reasoned: No medical doctor is perfect. Stella Obasanjo, Olusegun Obasanjo's wife, died after undergoing an unsuccessful surgery in Spain. Not even in America healthcare system is 100%.

Ikechukwu Julius Eze said: We do have competent medical doctors in Nigeria, and some hospitals are equipped with sophisticated facilities. Sometimes, however, they need time to learn and maintain some of the facilities. We are not so backwards as most people exaggerate.

Peter Nwama thanked the staff of the Lagos General Hospital for saving his wife's life two years ago.

Not all, however, were as optmistic as the previous orators. Many respondents have condemned our leaders for choosing foreign hospitals and clinics instead of applying to our country's medical establishments.

Lilian Ufomadu said: I believe that our healthcare systems are not up to standards. Why should then the rich and the leaders themselves not use our own facilities but travel abroad for medical care? And yet, they don't want to do anything about it!

Aborisade Oluwaseun agreed: Our leaders should stop going overseas. Maybe then the healthcare will improve!

Covenant Akum addded: I wonder why our leaders always travel outside the country to get medical attention. This means we don’t have adequate medical instruments. If that is the case, shame on them. Nigeria is the proverbial man who has money but cannot build his house to a standard.

Charles Chiedu Akaraiwe gave an in-depth analysis of the situation: Post-independence leaders remain a curse to themselves and the Nation. These anti-nationalists see the best abroad and covet them for selfish use, yet fail to elevate their own nation in any humane essence. The United States and other Western nations were far more medically advanced in heart surgeries than Russia. Yet, out of patriotism and national pride, then-President Boris Yeltsin settled for his own operation in his country with the local medical experts. Our cursed leaders consistently drain our depleted treasury with the huge foreign medical bills they all incur (even for body massages). Those demons have traded their souls for the sweet and savoury fruit of bribery and corruption. Delta State is now in total ruins.

Opeyemi Asimi Oyesade mused: I can describe this as just a hencoop where we just stock hens and wouldn't mind their condition. To tell the truth, Nigeria's health workers are so intelligent even without adequate instruments! What a waste! If you can't build your house to your own taste, you will eventually rent an apartment. This made them [the leaders] to fly abroad seeking treatment, unlike [the late South African leader and icon Nelson] Mandela.

Ojosipe Adekunle wondered: What makes other countries far better than our own motherland? They [foreign countries] manage their human resources well! They never play with good education and good treatment of their people who make the nation. Their government pay good attention to the advanced education of their people. Why does not our government do the same and see whether they would be any improvement.

Abdullahi Muhammad lamented: Nigeria has the money, but we have a wicked government. They will never invest in hospitals because they have enough capital to go abroad and treat themselves and their families so dey wil never care to take any action no mater wat dey cn do dey never denined dis country

Ahmed Busari said: When our leaders say we're blessed with human resourses, I am still not convinced. I will rate Nigeria health centers 40 percent out of 100. Some medical doctors we have are quack and incompetent. We have a lot of problems in this country.

Abimbola Boboye criticized current leadership, comparing Nigeria to South Africa: Even street boys are promptly attended to with an ambulance on ground to take them to a hospital for a free consultation nd medical attention here in SA!

Wisdom Chigozie suggested: Our Constitution needs to be restructured. Legislations should restrict our leaders from seeking medical attention abroad, except in extreme cases. This would help them pay the needed attention to issues related to the health sector. I think our health sector was in its worst state of dilapidtion before the present minister for health Dr Onyebuchi Chukwu assumed office. Presently, he is doing his best to bring it up to standard.

Fasoro Moronke Esther maintained: They (the Federal Government) pump so much money into the health sector yet they still travel abroad for medical checkup and treatment.

Ikwo Ekanem also suggested some ways to improve qualifications of medical personnel: Nigeria health sector needs to upgrade. Send the doctors abroad to meet up to standards! The poor who have no money to go abroad are diyng here!Let the goverment think if they really have the intrest for the masses!

Taiwo Alexandra Lala said: It is bad enough that people have to beg for financial help to receive cure to their ailments abroad when we can afford to establish such in Nigeria. Most of the time, these people fall into wrong hands abroad, and are taken advantage of. There were cases when organs were removed to treat other patients. Also, patients on admission are made to buy both relevant and irrelevant medication as if making the patient to patronize their personal business. To add more, some of the nurses have zero manners (but it’s fair to say the patients can be uncontrollable, too). The way emergency is handled can be compared to travelling from Lagos to Abuja. Even those that don’t require police reports. Lots of people have died while waiting to be attended to. It, however, must be mentioned that most of these government health centers and hospital now wear a very clean look! Besides, let our hospitals get above treating malaria.

All respondents were unanimous in describing current state of medical facilities as "poor," "beyond standards," a "death trap" which is "nothing to write home about". Only wealthy individuals, they say, can afford treatment in private clinics which are better equipped.

Nigerians decry shortage of specialists, lack of adequate equipment, insanitary conditions. Mr. Promise Alexandér, for instance, said: "Most of the health centers looks like ancient days tombs. No celings, no cement on the floor, only sand. You can see 20 beds in a very small room where even 5 chickens can't stay. It seems that nurses only have primary school leaving certifcates and doctors are university dropouts."

Although not everyone agreed that the doctors are not qualified, about half of the commentators have mentioned poor attitude of nurses towards the patients. They feel that nurses lack manners, saying the Nigerian nurses and midwives would often treat pregnancy as a "crime". Some patients even confessed they prefer male nurses to female nurses.

Maryam U. Saleh said: Just imagine a nurse telling her patient that diabetes patients are very stubborn! Instead of calming the patients down, they prefer to insult them. Some will even tell their patients to die.

Aniv Ferdinand recalled: I once had an injury on my leg (stepped on broken bottles). The shards were stuck in my flesh but the nurses neglected me! I almost died from loss of blood! It was the doctor who left his office out of pity to attend to me. In fact, all those female nurses in health centers and general hospitals need to be replace because they are all heartless and very wicked.

A large number of commenters have revealed multiple problems that, to their mind, are plaguing the healthcare sector. They have mentioned lack of support for the health professionals from the government, noting that many Nigerian doctors work abroad because of lack of proper conditions. Many are positive that corruption within the sector has to do with its failure. They also note that a lot of Nigerian doctors are more interested in earning money than treating the patients, and decry the "pay first - get treated later" system. The problem, some Nigerians note, stem from the poorly-developed education sector in our country, as the universities fail to produce adequate experts.

There is a solution to any situation, even to the one that looks hopeless. Nigerians have offered their insights into how the situation might be improved.

Sherifat Abogunrin adviced: I think rather than blaming the government all the time, it's time to also look at our attitude as Nigerians. The Doctors trained in Nigeria, do they have their patient at heart or they only care about their pockets? Medical practitioners are one of the highest paid in Nigeria today, yet they are the ones who always go on strike. What should teachers do? Imagine if they also went on strike, who would teach our children? It's not about what your country can do for you but about what you can offer your country!

Abayira Konya said: Until our youths start taking responsibility and eradicate corruption in our society, Nigeria's healthcare or any other institution will not succeed!

Source: Legit.ng