What does govt now do with all the resources in their disposal if they are not responsible for healthcare, education, infrastructure and everything, why bother have a government. In a situation where the private sector refuses to provide what happens? The private sector is not mandated to do anything for people they can only do  if they feel it is profitable.

Are govt gods?

A country like Cuba that has outstanding government run health and educational services must have gods as its leaders/government.
Govt is simply irresponsible period.
And Yar,Adua that wants to rule Nigeria; what sector in Katsina is worthy of being mentioned that he has done excellently as the governor at least he is the number 1 man in Katsina. DOnald Duke can point to tourism

People dO you think in reality nigerians are ready to make goverment do what it meant to?

Ask the average man and he wolud tell you that he want his share of the national cake.
Not what he has done or can dobut what he can get!

If you can't move forward at least you can move up or digg up a hole instead of backward.

Somalia is a clear testament to an ideal state without a goverment. The private sector there must have done a good job.

There is a difference between the government and the private sector. Provision of social infrastructure is the responsibility of the government (which is why many of us hyperventilating are doing so comfortably in foreign countries where govts do not abdicate their responsibilities), it is merely an avenue for profit to the private investor.

As a private enterpreneur, my duty is to look after my pocket not build a hospital to take care of Atiku!

post duplication . . . . appologies

Donzman, our economics teacher, don run away

Yar'adua went to Germany to treat CATTAH, atiku was flown to London in a Presidential Jet to treat KNEEL INJURY these situations show that there are NO HOSPITALS IN NIGERIA but DISPENSARIES!!!SHAME SHAME SHAME ON THEM ALL

While PDP and A C were fretting away our money, "REAL" Nigerians dey suffer. please read this


In the household of Latifa Adeniyi, an unemployed young lady living at Oritagbaemu, Osogbo in Osun State, these are not the best of times. A situation that should have brought immense joy to her entire household has, ironically, become a source of untold pain and anguish.

Since February 25, when she gave birth to a bouncing set of triplets, joy seems to have taken flight out of her life. Soon after she delivered her babies, their dad suddenly vanished. And while she was trying to get over that, two of the babies died. And now, she can no longer hide her sorrow.

“I have been very unfortunate,” she tells Daily Sun. “I was very happy when I gave birth to the triplets. But my joy was cut short on the first day and now, things are finally falling apart for me and my family.”

Latifa’s agony started shortly after the birth of her babies. A young lady without any visible means of livelihood, she had been intimately involved with a young commercial motorbike operator named, Adeniyi Ajibola. According to her, their relationship was “accidental,” and they never planned for a pregnancy. But the young man still stood by her until she delivered.

“As soon as he discovered that this young lady had given birth to a set of triplets, he shouted, “‘Oh my God! What is this?’ He then went out. And since then, we’ve not seen him. He has run away,” said Latifa’s grandmother, Madam Hasanatu Shittu.
Both Mama and Latifa were still contemplating how they would cope with three kids when two of the babies fell ill. Before they could get any help, both had died. Latifa’s grandmum explains the reason for their sudden death.

“They lacked nutrition. I was the one breastfeeding the triplets before the two died. When they fell ill, we had to rush them to the native doctor because we had no money to take them to the hospital. We have been crying for help since the babies were delivered, but we never got any positive response.”
Latifa’s health has taken a turn for the worse since her babies died.

“She has been bleeding and I had to take her to the hospital. Latifa is appealing to good Nigerians to come to her assistance in order to save her remaining baby. I’m appealing to Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola and his wife to come to our aid. We have no money. But I don’t want my remaining baby to die. God will bless anybody that comes to our aid,” she says with tears in her eyes.


MAY THE GOOD LORD BLESS YOU AS "U" CAST YOUR VOTE. MAKE YOURS COUNT

According to Donzman's theory of Economics, is Latifa not supposed to be part of the private sector who should build first class health care facilities for the likes of Atiku Abubakar so he does not have to junkett to London after spraining his knees exercising on an equipment whose cost alone could easily have paid Latifa's medical bills?

Very Sad story

There is a reason for all the mess between the president and VP; also with Yar'Adua's emergency medical check up and VP kneel surgery.
It is a wake up call and I have confidence that something wonderful that will benefit all will come out of it.

It isn't over till the FAT lady (iya Bimpe) sings!

Let's hope for the best.

@donzman,
i have to disagree entirely with you here.
1. health is a fundamental human right and it is even part of the MDGs. every govt has a duty to its citizens to provide healthcare. healthy citizenry makes healthy nation. and govt plays a major role in training Drs thru teaching hospitals which should not just be health sanctuaries but also centres of health research and learning. even the US u are quoting is entangled in a fight to sponsor stem cell research. remember? that is a health issue and the US govt is thickly involved. make no mistake.
2. there is no excuse for the govt  for the failed health sector. in 1980, the university college hospital ibadan was among the top 5 health centres in the commonwealth. in case u dont know, the commonwealth includes UK,Canada,Australia and New Zealand. where is the UCH now. who's to blame?
3. . . . . . to be continued . . . . . . .

Ah dont mind Donzman o. . .

According to his theory of economics (that he just read up last night) the failure of UCH must be put squarely at the feet of the private sector while our government continues to waste our taxes and oil revenue on trips to London to treat headache.

At least we know those who comprise the government, who are the members of these amorphous private sector so we can hold them responsible for the failure of government.

@donzman contd

3. private clinics are nothing but a shadow of the economy and social system in the country. the Doctors who have the wherewithal to establish excellent centres will rather leave the country b/c govt cant provide conditions that will enable them to do so such as power supply(dont tell me about generator b/c they make noise and who wants so much noise near his patients)even at that where is the fuel. steady fuel scarcity will make the doctor spend more time looking for fuel than treating his patients. if there are bad roads, nothing thrives, security nko. so those who can afford it leave the nation. also they would want to further thier knowledge in research.who will sponsor such a research in naija? govt? lol.

4. there may be a lot of immorality in many medical schools in nigeria but u cant fault the competence of the average nigerian doctor. the evidence is overwhelming, those who leave for the west pass those exams with relative ease. compared to our own local exams in nigeria.

5. . . . . to be continued

@donzman continued

u talk of fake drugs in the society. who is responsible for blocking fake drugs importation? who is responsible for catching all those who produce fake drugs? people pay tax and govt sets up NAFDAC if the drug agency fails whose fault?

the failure of the healthsector is to be placed on the table of the govt. period.

infact i do believe u were typing in front of ur laptop last night with 2 or 3 or 4 or more pints of beer just joking

bro, govt don fail us. no mistake.

LOL I hope their is no clash of interests going on here (see the rhyme "man" in their names), tonshman undoing donzman.

On a more serious note, Donzman was just blabbing yesterday

Is Donzman not the greatest Economist from Nigeria since Pius Okigbo?

I should have known better.Last night,I was watching a discussion on Fox News(Hannity and Colmes) involving Newt Gingrich,the subject of the discussion was a healthcare plan proposed by Gingrich which he was promoting for his Presidential Campaign.How foolish was he to suggest that the Govt should be involved

According to Donzman,he should be berating the private sector for not providing the healthcare coverage for the 40 million uninsured Americans.Those stupid Americans who keep seeking Govt solution to this problem.

Here in the UK,the stupid Brits have been blaming the Blair Govt for problems in the NHS when as the genius Donzman notes,the real issue is why is the private sector not stepping in.

According to Donzman,he should be berating the private sector for not providing the healthcare coverage for the 40 million uninsured Americans.Those stupid Americans who keep seeking Govt solution to this problem.

You forgot 300 million Americans who are insured! If that amount is insured, you have to queston why the 40million aren't insured.

Here in the UK,the stupid Brits have been blaming the Blair Govt for problems in the NHS when as the genius Donzman notes,the real issue is why is the private sector not stepping in.  

If the Government decides to nationalize healthcare then it should be blamed for all the problems. In a place like Nigeria where healthcare is NOT nationalized, the private sector and the public sector shares the blame with more emphasis on the private sector which is supposed to be more efficient.

u talk of fake drugs in the society. who is responsible for blocking fake drugs importation? who is responsible for catching all those who produce fake drugs? people pay tax and govt sets up NAFDAC if the drug agency fails whose fault?

the failure of the healthsector is to be placed on the table of the govt. period.

Is it the Government going out to import fake drugs? Isn't it useless individuals like you and I who do this to the detriment of the community at large only to turn around and blame the Government. The real reason for fake drugs is due to individuals who are too greedy to see the big picture, not the Government.

1. health is a fundamental human right and it is even part of the MDGs. every govt has a duty to its citizens to provide healthcare. healthy citizenry makes healthy nation. and govt plays a major role in training Drs through teaching hospitals which should not just be health sanctuaries but also centres of health research and learning. even the US u are quoting is entangled in a fight to sponsor stem cell research. remember? that is a health issue and the US govt is thickly involved. make no mistake.

Health is not a fundamental human right, we get to pay for it one way or another. If health was a fundamental human right, then doctors won't be as rich as they are. People do not pay to obtain their rights, now do they?. . .Healthcare isn't a fundamental human right, you pay for service, that is the way it works.

According to Donzman's theory of Economics, is Latifa not supposed to be part of the private sector who should build first class health care facilities for the likes of Atiku Abubakar so he does not have to junkett to London after spraining his knees exercising on an equipment whose cost alone could easily have paid Latifa's medical bills?

Last I checked, I didn't exonerate Atiku nor did I exonerate Latifa. They're all Nigerians and part of the problem at hand.

Finally, nobody is saying Government should not produce healthcare. All Donzman is saying is that the private sector should also provide healthcare. In the case where healthcare sucks, you can't blame it all on the Government who have several other priorities. Why are the private hospitals not any better? Is the Government operating those ones too?. . .Most people will still rather go to a public hospital than the private ones, yet we have people here blaming the Government.

Government will build roads, provide water, police security, national defence, pick out your wife/husband for you, build you a home, what else do you expect?. . .

How many of you pay taxes to the Nigerian Government to begin with?

4 Play:

Is Donzman not the greatest Economist from Nigeria since Pius Okigbo?

I should have known better.Last night,I was watching a discussion on Fox News(Hannity and Colmes) involving Newt Gingrich,the subject of the discussion was a healthcare plan proposed by Gingrich which he was promoting for his Presidential Campaign.How foolish was he to suggest that the Govt should be involved

According to Donzman,he should be berating the private sector for not providing the healthcare coverage for the 40 million uninsured Americans.Those stupid Americans who keep seeking Govt solution to this problem.

Here in the UK,the stupid Brits have been blaming the Blair Govt for problems in the NHS when as the genius Donzman notes,the real issue is why is the private sector not stepping in.

You also forgot to mention that some Canadians have taken the Government to court and won their rights to private hospitals due to the obvious deficiencies with the Government hospitals. Canada is just a country of 30million people and they're having problems with a relatively efficient public health sector. Now think of Nigeria, a much poorer country of 140 million people where individuals do not pay taxes, how are they supposed to maintain a decent public health sector?

How many of us will adhere to a Nigerian Health Insurance Scheme where you have to pay a certain amount each month?. . .Most of us will find a way to escape it and hop on the back of others. Yet we sit here thrashing the Government.

Donzman:

Finally, nobody is saying Government should not produce healthcare. All Donzman is saying is that the private sector should also provide healthcare. In the case where healthcare sucks, you can't blame it all on the Government who have several other priorities. Why are the private hospitals not any better? Is the Government operating those ones too?. . .Most people will still rather go to a public hospital than the private ones, yet we have people here blaming the Government.

Government will build roads, provide water, police security, national defence, pick out your wife/husband for you, build you a home, what else do you expect?. . .
How many of you pay taxes to the Nigerian Government to begin with?

Ok Donzman, we have heard you. What are the other "priorities" of the government that are so pressing that they cannot be bothered about affordable healthcare even for themselves and their families? Do you know how much it costs for each trip abroad to cure "severe catarhh" and knee strain?

How do you expect private hospitals to be better when these hospitals have to maintain their own personal local goverments in order to remain efficient?
The hospitals have to cope with rising costs of equipment, they have to build their own roads, drill their own boreholes and provide their own alternative source of power not forgetting that in order to avoid issues of fuel scarcity, they need to build their own private refineries too since the government has other priorities. Did i forget to mention these same hospitals will have to develop their own private emergency system too?
All from what funds?

Dont forget that the primary aim of the private investor is not only to provide a service but to make profit!

You talk about Government priorities as:
a. build roads: Where are the roads? In the moon?
b. provide water: Did you not allude that it was the duty of the private sector to provide their own boreholes? Where is the water government is providing?
c. police security: Our wretched police force that is underpaid and are no match for armed robbers?
d. national defence: The same army that cannot successfully rout ragtag rebels in the Niger Delta?

What then are government priorities?

Donzman:

If the Government decides to nationalize healthcare then it should be blamed for all the problems. In a place like Nigeria where healthcare is NOT nationalized, the private sector and the public sector shares the blame with more emphasis on the private sector which is supposed to be more efficient.

What? How is healthcare nationalised in the UK?We have private hospitals in the UK alongside Govt hospitals.

Donzman:

You also forgot to mention that some Canadians have taken the Government to court and won their rights to private hospitals due to the obvious deficiencies with the Government hospitals. Canada is just a country of 30million people and they're having problems with a relatively efficient public health sector. Now think of Nigeria, a much poorer country of 140 million people where individuals do not pay taxes, how are they supposed to maintain a decent public health sector?

How many of us will adhere to a Nigerian Health Insurance Scheme where you have to pay a certain amount each month?. . .Most of us will find a way to escape it and hop on the back of others. Yet we sit here thrashing the Government.

Abacha alone had about $3bn dollars frittered away in foreign accounts as at 1999! Does it cost $500 trillion to develop an efficient healthcare system?
How are individuals supposed to pay taxes when less than 10% of the population hold decent employment? Do you expect tax from the motor mechanic, peper seller, suya mallam, hawkers and carpenters?

My mom has been paying towards an NHIS scheme since i was in secondary school hoping then that it would cover the whole family. More than 10 yrs after not a single one of us has benefited from the scheme!

What about the national housing scheme scam? How many civil servants benefited? What about the money that they paid towards the scheme? Is someone going to refund it anytime soon?

There's nothing wrong with Atiku going abroad to treat himself, provided he did not steal the funding for the trip.

well, i think he shd be entitled to treatments abroad

@Donzman

If the market was out there to build first class private hospitals,the private sector would gladly build it.They would not need the prompting of anyone.Nigerians are a fairly enterpreneurial bunch and would not shy away from setting up private hospitals if they were convinced there was money to be made.

The fact that there are few such hospitals is testament to the fact astute investors do not think it is worthwhile in the current Nigerian environment.

This is where the Govt is to blame.They have failed to provide an environment where businesses will thrive .As if this is not enough,they have also failed to public alternative hospitals in light of the private secor's unwilligness to step in

The simple point is,if there was a viable market out there for private healthcare,businesses will step in.Since there is none,the Govt has to fill in the gap

Yeah Davidylan, $3billion will solve Nigeria's healthcare problems. You might want to check to Canada's Ministry of Health's at www.health.gov.on.ca for their budget dedicated to maintaining the Health Care sector. Now Nigeria is a poorer, less healthy and more populous nation. Go figure why our healthcare sucks, instead of you and I working to set up hospitals, we're looking to place responsiblities where it can never be handled.

My mom has been paying towards an NHIS scheme since i was in secondary school hoping then that it would cover the whole family. More than 10 years after not a single one of us has benefited from the scheme!

What about the national housing scheme scam? How many civil servants benefited? What about the money that they paid towards the scheme? Is someone going to refund it anytime soon?

Ask yourself how many Nigerians paid into the NHIS and see where the problem arises.

For the rest of your posts, I'm not here saying the Government is great. I'm saying the problem of healthcare is as a result of private sector failure leading to the public sector failing. I know of Nigeria's problems, you do not need to list them out for me.

WHY SHOULDN'T THE PRIVATE SECTOR PROVIDE HEALTHCARE?. . .YOU TELL ME!

4 Play:

@Donzman

If the market was out there to build first class private hospitals,the private sector would gladly build it.They would not need the prompting of anyone.Nigerians are a fairly enterpreneurial bunch and would not shy away from setting up private hospitals if they were convinced there was money to be made.

Why are you fond of mental slips like these?. . .How can you say there is no market for first class private hospitals?. . .Just like there was no market for GSM phones, private universities. . .right?

Aren't there people who go abroad for checkup on a regular basis, you think these folks won't patronize a Nigerian hospital?. . .Man please!

Donzman:

WHY SHOULDN'T THE PRIVATE SECTOR PROVIDE HEALTHCARE?. . .YOU TELL ME!

Please go through 4play's last post. You cannot provide services (as a private investor) in a vacuum. Is it economically feasible for me to set up a private hospital in Nigeria?
What about electricity? Nigeria generates 1200MW when it needs a minimum of 10000MW. South Africa generates 100000MW.
What about water?
Do i have to build a refinery just in case we run into our ubiquitous fuel strikes and scarcity episodes?
Would i have to build my own roads?
What of an emergency system like the 911 system?

What is the government doing to encourage me to invest in its economy?

What about irrational government policies that are more politically minded than as a product of national interest. Remember Slok air?

Donzman:

Why are you fond of mental slips like these?. . .How can you say there is no market for first class private hospitals?. . .Just like there was no market for GSM phones, private universities. . .right?

Aren't there people who go abroad for checkup on a regular basis, you think these folks won't patronize a Nigerian hospital?. . .Man please!

Surely,if there was such a market,businesses will pile in to make money?Why would anyone see an obvious opprtunity to make money from building hospitals and simply avoid it?My view is that there is no such market and that is why we don't have such advanced private healthcare.

If you believe otherwise,pls explain why you think bizs are avoiding this obvious money making opportunity

There's a market for high quality healthcare in Nigeria, and there are hospitals that cater to that market. However, because of the billions our politicians possess, they'd rather travel abroad. Afterall it's not their money.

There would be even more high quality hospitals in Nigeria if the industry was not so highly regulated.

Seun:

There's a market for high quality healthcare in Nigeria, and there are hospitals that cater to that market. However, because of the billions our politicians possess, they'd rather travel abroad. Afterall it's not their money.

There would be even more high quality hospitals in Nigeria if the industry was not so highly regulated.

What industry is highly regulated?

You can't even dream of starting a hospital if you are not a doctor, and it's so hard to qualify as one.
Whereas, one can start a buka without a degree in food technology, et cetera. And that's just the beginning.

i'm goin to have a hospital, i'm not planning on becoming a doctor
i think it's possible

Seun:

There's a market for high quality healthcare in Nigeria, and there are hospitals that cater to that market.  However, because of the billions our politicians possess, they'd rather travel abroad.  Afterall it's not their money.

There would be even more high quality hospitals in Nigeria if the industry was not so highly regulated.

There is equally a market for air travel in Nigeria,but this is a market  for only an exclusive class of Nigerians.What we are talking of is mass health care.That is for the Govt to provide cos the private sector will not do that.

In the UK,we have private hospitals and indeed my parents prefer that to the public ones but the average man on the street cannot afford the private hospitals here(talkless of the average Nigerian)this is where the Govt steps in and provides health care for the masses