NIGERIA: Is There Hope For The Health Sector?

ABUJA (LeadershipNigeria.com), May 20, 2008: By Chika Mefor Millions of Nigerians are dying everyday for either money to pay for medical bills or lack of the necessary equipments that could be of help in treating them. The numbers keep increasing leaving one to wonder whether there is any hope of survival. Health they say is wealth and the health of a nation's citizenry should be of paramount importance, but is it really the case in Nigeria? Considering the nation's treasury, health care should be provided free for Nigerians. This is a vision that one wonders whether it could ever be achieved and this brings a question to the lips of the masses is there really hope? Mr. Simon Age was a civil servant, he fell ill and was diagnosed of a liver problem. He had to travel abroad to undergo an operation that would take a huge amount of money. There was no way he could get the money for the operation, and so his family ran to the church for help. The church decided to make contributions almost every Sunday, for a month. With the money they realised, coupled with that gotten from a few friends and a charitable organisation, Mr. Age was ready to start the journey that could save or end his life. But there was a problem, his papers couldn't be accessed quickly. For two weeks he waited for these papers to be ready. In the process of waiting, he died. Many citizens of this country have died like Mr. Age, their lives wasted for nothing. It hurts to see people die just like that. The very Sunday the death of Mr. Age was announced to the church, another man was celebrating his return alive from India. This survivor left Nigeria full of doubts, because he had been told in a hospital here that there was nothing that could save him, that he would be confined to his wheelchair for the rest of his life. This man had a spinal cord injury. He heard about this hospital in India that might help him and decided to try his luck. Unlike Mr. Age, he had the money and within a few weeks, he was through with the processing of his papers and travelled to India. Luck was still on his side because he was operated upon and he came back to Nigeria strong and on his feet. He told the story of how he was adviced to give up in Nigeria, he advised people not to give up when they are sick, but to seek treatment outside. According to him, the treatment he got in India was not expensive. How many of the masses can afford this trip. This man’s case is typical at our leaders who travel almost every month for what they call "medical checkup". They travel to Germany, US, Australia, UK and other places to treat there illnesses while the masses under them are suffering. Their wives and daughters visit expensive hospitals abroad to deliver their babies, while the poor masses are at risk. Nigeria has an infant mortality rate that is so alarming, yet nothing is done about it. Money released by the government for the health sector is squandered. This brings to mind the scandal rocking the health sector at the moment, where unspent money from the previous year's budget, which could have been returned to the nations treasury was shared among senior civil servants. This is what is threatening the reputation built by Prof. Grange, the former health minister and others. Why in the first place, should a citizen of this well blessed country Nigeria, seek medical treatment abroad. Those sophisticated equipment abroad could be afforded here in Nigeria with our oil money. But there have been cases of money allotted for the procurement of this equipment disappearing without a trace. Surely, some equipment have been bought and brought down to Nigeria. Equipments which cost millions of naira. The question that needs an answer is whether those equipments are really needed. There was no input whatsoever from the doctors in the front line on the type of equipment or the quantity they require. No consultation was made. Questions like, what would make a patient better? Is it more CT scanners, more MRI machines, more beds, more exam couches, more doctors etc. The people on ground know what they need to make the health system work. What one hospital needs might be different from what the other hospital needs. But what does government do? Some people complained that there are shortages of medical personnel in our hospitals, but every year thousands of qualified doctors graduate from the medical school. Where are they? One might ask? they are all practicing in the USA, UK, Saudi, Canada, were they are paid huge amounts of money. Thousands of Nigerian trained doctors are outside the country and they are making it out there. Those who are still here are busy waiting for an opportunity to leave. Despite the shortage of nurses in our hospitals, every student nurse's dream is to practic abroad. This is as a result of poor remuneration given to them by the government, thus they embark on a journey in search of greener pasture. Is there hope for the many Mr. Ages out there, or would their fate also turn out to be like his? This is a food for thought for our leaders. They should realise that they have a duty to the electorate. As they travel abroad for treatment, they should remember that the poor masses are dying. Those equipment for treatment which are lacking or which are obsolete should be supplied and our doctors should be enticed to come back home and save our lives. Those suffering with ailments beyond Nigerian hospitals should be given urgent attention. The government should create a way for easy assessing of their papers so that their case would not be like that of Mr. Age. The government should do something fast, the second man in my story was saved in India, a third world country like Nigeria. One great secret about those countries is that they know they are still developing and they are making every effort to develop, but here our problem is complex, we never agree we are still developing and we are making no effort at all. Finally, charitable organisations in Nigeria appear on the television almost everyday to recite their deeds, but when cases like Mr. Age's come up, they are nowhere to be found. They should live up to expectation and help as they have always promised. Some NGOs are just there soliciting for help in the park, in the market place and at the church. Those who are ready to help should create a website where they can be reached easily. They should remember that they are working for God and for the country. If they can save one Mr. Age, they have saved a lot of people. Copyright: Leadership Newspapers Group Ltd