President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent travel to the United Kingdom for a medical check-up has again raised concern, appropriately, over the poor state of the country’s healthcare system.

The president returned to the country on Thursday, April 15, 2021, after spending two weeks abroad, and proceeded with business as usual, without any indication that anything was amiss with Nigeria’s health care. Yet, he was only a privileged Nigerian, out of 200 million, to be able to access good medical care abroad. It is a thing of shame for the country, with her huge resources and potential, to find herself in such ignoble health condition.

Unfortunately, the Nigerian health sector is ‘plagued with various diseases’ ranging from poor rating in the continent to incessant strikes by health workers and loss of public confidence in the quality of service, leading to medical tourism which, according to a report, gulps over $2b yearly. Another Study ranks Nigeria 14th of African countries with the poor health system, while Buhari’s medical trip is viewed against a need to adequately equip the nation’s hospitals. Nigeria’s dismal rating in these regards is not surprising, given the appalling state of her healthcare delivery that has received nothing more than national lamentation for too long!

The new study ranked Nigeria 14th with a total of 41 scores out of 18 African countries surveyed in a first-of-its-kind Health System Sustainability index report. The country ranked last in maternal mortality, infant vaccination, and neonatal mortality. In addition, Nigeria also came 17th on births attended by skilled health staff and access to effective treatment for tuberculosis. Thus, this report reinforced what is already known, over which calls have been made for the government to make improvements.

The first global healthcare ranking, which was based on a qualification of personal access and quality for 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2015 placed Nigeria at the 140th position. The Healthcare Access and Quality Index tracked progress in each country compared to the benchmark year of 1990. The 32 diseases for which death rates were tracked include tuberculosis and other respiratory infections; illnesses that can be prevented with vaccines (diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, and measles); several forms of treatable cancer and heart disease, and maternal and neonatal disorders.

The result showed that virtually all countries improved over the period but many, especially, in Africa and Oceania fell further behind in providing basic care for their citizens. Nigeria lagged far behind most other African countries.

The need for the improved healthcare system in Nigeria, therefore, cannot be over-emphasised. Otherwise, every other critical ingredient of world-class medical care is available in the country. Nigeria is, indeed, blessed with some of the best medical doctors and health practitioners in the world.

Incidentally, many highly educated and talented Nigerian medical professionals are out in foreign countries excelling where the conditions and atmosphere are better. Nigeria’s poor healthcare infrastructure, in particular, coupled with poor remuneration and general insecurity are responsible for the mass migration of Nigeria’s best hands in health care.

Without being prodded, the government ought to recognise that the country is in trouble if there is no adequate healthcare for its teeming population. There is a need for a re-calibration of the healthcare system for accessibility and efficiency in order to serve the population. This, of course, is a challenge to the nation’s leadership at all levels.

A former Minister of Health, the late Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, raised the nation’s healthcare delivery system to a historic world standard through his focus on primary healthcare programme that attracted international support and which he vigorously drove with personal commitment and integrity. Many international agencies supported the programme and funded it. UNICEF vehicles and personnel were found everywhere in the country, especially, in the rural areas implementing different aspects of the primary health care programme. Leadership was a critical variable in Ransome-Kuti’s success story. Sadly, the nation’s leaders now seem obsessed with jetting out of the country for health care at the slightest headache, leaving the poor masses to their fate in poorly equipped hospitals; a case of the ‘fish rotting from the head’.

It is a national embarrassment of intense proportion that wealthy Nigerians, who can afford it, continue to flock to foreign countries to seek medical help while the poor are left with no option other than to probably die. That is a sad testimonial for a country that is supposed to be a model and leading example in the Africa continent.

To change this narrative, Nigeria has to be more pragmatic and improve accountability, reduce or eliminate corruption, promote good governance even within the health care system, jettison ethic racketeering, fight fake drugs, scale-up and ensure that all states buy into the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) for a more organized health care system and also to improve the funding of health care. The NHIS will reduce out-of-pocket expenses on health.

Also, anti-corruption agencies should turn their searchlights to the health sector and ensure that the key performance indicators (KPIs) tied to the budgets at all levels of governance and other health finances are achieved; because despite huge budgets for drugs in most public hospitals, for instance, they are almost always out of stock.

Furthermore, as the nation is weak in curative health, it is important to change the paradigm and make health care more basic through preventive health using Sanitary Inspectors. There is a need for competitive federalism in the health sector. The Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) should be a model for other states to follow.

No doubt there is a need to raise the benchmark of funding of the health sector, and there is an urgent need to build the critical infrastructure as well as foist the right environment for a good healthcare delivery system in Nigeria. It is a worn phrase, but no improvement can be made on the saying that a healthy nation is a wealthy one.

https://m.guardian.ng/Editorial/Equip-hospitals-end-medical-tourism

We're in deep mess... where's the Minister for Health. Summon him here

I have made this same call too. Let Buhari use the budget of the Aso Rock clinic for a year to build the same type of hospital he visits and let him employ his Uk Doctors there after all we have foreign coach four our super eagles. Electricity is always a challenge and i am always happy to be part of the solution . Do you need a Mobile Power solution for laptop, led tv and decoder, light bulb, fan, Phones e.t.c fully assembled by Nigerian for Nigeria for the last five years and still waxing stronger. All are built with brand new liFePo4 battery.

They'll not hear.thryre deaf to reason

And if the words eventually penetrate into their ears they'll claim "they cannot be bullied"

Moreover the sychophants and cabals Eating from under his table will never allow him to be reasonable

I hope he listens...

Buhari no dey hear dis particular one

I can bet my ball that they won't

Abeg joor, I will Design a Professional Logo or Letterhead for your Product or Company For 2k Only

4th world country in a dark continent and having a demented dead vegetable as president! What else is worse than that?

They will avoid this advise like covid.

Nigeria doctors lack professionalism. If you go to doctors house where doctors drink beer at the night. You will heard them discussing people’s illnesses and sometimes mocking them. No big man in Nigeria will want that because Nigerian doctors lack secrecy. They also lack good attitude to patient too.

Lol

All them ngeneukwenu, helinues omenka, people that can't afford a pack of augumetin will push against this.

Buhari zombies have consistently pushed against every positive thing.

They support the terrorist patani, they love and defend herdsmen, medical tourism, etc

The same government that just stopped paying young doctors, they have just nailed our health care sector.

Future impossible tense. It is only in Nigeria they import what they have in excess "petroleum". And export what they don't have "security/electricity".

For dream Abi for real Life? Guardian wake up biko.
Them prefer to use that money build State of the Art Hospital for Niger.
Very soon we go know watin dey happen for that Niger.
There's Nothing hidden under the sun that can never be revealed.
All i know is that i ain't linking my NIN to any Sim card and heaven will not fall.
Their sinister motive can't and won't affect me.

This can't be stressed enough, Nigeria!!

If PMB prefers medical treatment in London, the First Lady moved to Dubai, what then will be his motivation to equip hospitals in Nigeria?

Shey buhari that is deaf is the one they're giving advice to? Lmao!

Well well. This here is the bitter, naked truth. There is no covering it. Sadly this administration will carry on like nothing is wrong. The culture of "blame everyone else" and never taking responsibility has eaten into this government like a virulent cancer.

I wish that for once, this government just STOPS Takes stock, see where they have failed, get professionals together to assess and make short, medium and long term recommendations for improvements for once.

Not everything is about politics, or controlling power. Why not at least make an impact in the lives of the people you are governing? Sadly I don't think this will happen.

In summary, our leaders are utterly useless particularly the one called the president, baami no kuku get sense before to think of hospital na to carry bags fly upandan laik pesin wey hin generation never enter plane bifor..

Assuming they have got their priority figure out and they intend seeing out all their white elephant project we will not be having this conversation, OP will not penning down this lengthy essay but again we're blessed with a tone deaf government. They don't care about the masses....

Benwems:
Nigeria doctors lack professionalism. If you go to doctors house where doctors drink beer at the night. You will heard them discussing people’s illnesses and sometimes mocking them. No big man in Nigeria will want that because Nigerian doctors lack secrecy. They also lack good attitude to patient too.

You don’t have sense. How does this prevent the govt to improve healthcare?

The dead mewr seller & all zombies alike will avoid this thread, dia darling daddy's incompetence is an insult to failure

Its not just enough to equip hospitals
Those equipments will require regular maintenance
Nigerians with the exception of politicians are not use to expensive medical bills
This discussion has to cover plans for the generation of funding for our hospitals

williams85:

You don’t have sense. How does this prevent the govt to improve healthcare?

You are the person not having sense. Where did I say Nigerian government shouldn’t improve health care? I only said even if it’s improved, elites will still travel out because Nigerian doctors lack professionalism.

williams85:

You don’t have sense. How does this prevent the govt to improve healthcare?

dangotesmummy:
They'll not hear.thryre deaf to reason

And if the words eventually penetrate into their ears they'll claim "they cannot be bullied"

Moreover the sychophants and cabals Eating from under his table will never allow him to be reasonable

Those ones eating crumbs from under the table are actually the worst. They come to defend his failures every time he's called out. The worst among these zombies are those that bring in ethno-religious sentiments.

They will never do it

Lisakran:
The same government that just stopped paying young doctors, they have just nailed our health care sector.

By the time this government start reducing our doctors salaries, then that's when the health care sector will be dead kpatakpata

moriss33:
The dead mewr seller & all zombies alike will avoid this thread, dia darling daddy's incompetence is an insult to failure

To them, trying to tell bubu to stop medical tourism is like an indirect way of trying to kill bubu. These zombies are ready to fight and kill for bubu sake

PDP will do it in 2023.

Willie007:


Those ones eating crumbs from under the table are actually the worst. They come to defend his failures every time he's called out. The worst among these zombies are those that bring in ethno-religious sentiments.

they're protecting their bellies and source of livelihood so bubu can never do no wrong in their eyes.thryre loyal servants and will continue to defend him for the sake of their daily bread before their greed eventually consumes all of them

arsenal33:
PDP will do it in 2023.

so Naija youths still never get sense?


You're still defending bunch of old redundant failures and agbayas

Smh it's sad and worrisome to know that the YOUTHS that are clamouring for power are not in any way ready for leadership and governance, they're not ready to take back their destinies from old fools who have been killing them slowly

While those agbayas are preparing strategically and intentionally for 2023,the youths are busy arguing about Burna boy and Davido,Nigerian jollof rice and Ghana jollof rice while some others are still slaving for the old charlatans who put nigeria in bondage


Naija youths them swear for you? Just take a look at the endsars matter.the useless politicians aren't bothered about how they'll meet the endsars protesters demands or even put an end to fulani nuisance. they're running after 2023

Even if the hospitals are equipt , what will run them as the medical crew are all leaving for greener pastures. It's a pathetic scenario. Medical staff are not treated well here.