When healthcare workers become placard-holders definitely something is wrong. The little ones like me who perceive health workers as a source of inspiration are now in doubts. The new generation are sitting at home because of strike actions taken by their lecturers and the old ones are holding placards. What is the hope of the crying and dying patients?
If healthcare professionals aren't as war over salary and allowances , it's controversy here and there. Resident doctors go on strike because of unresolved issues. Incessant strikes have brought untold hardship, despondence and death to many lives across the federation. Now people run to private owned health care centers, that's even for average Nigerians. The low-class Nigerians seek and rely on the traditional medicine.
Strike actions have shown Nigerian patients maximum disrespect. How do you expect someone who hasn't been paid for months to come to work smiling and work with his or her maximum ability?
Many health care workers have sought alternative solutions by moving into the private settings,but who suffers from these actions? The poor Nigerians will. You no longer walk the premises of the hospital as medical students boasting of a waiting job as it used to be before, except for some who hold tightly the hands of the Almighty. Parents can't gladly wait for the induction of their wards and be confident of sitting to enjoy.
With a 184 million strong population and a growth rate of 2.7% per year, our dear country has moved up in the global population table. Each year's increased burden is being placed on an underfunded public health system. The country does not lack quality health care personnel and procedures; the challenge we face constantly is fueling these.
Our health sector is burdened but underfunded. It seems we've forgotten that health is wealth.
Our country is experiencing a growing rate of noncommunicable and persistence of the communicable ones. In a report by Pharm Access Foundation, as of 2015 the prevalence of HIV stood at 3.1%, while the prevalence of diabetes was estimated at 4.04%. Both the under-five mortality rate and the maternal mortality rate stood at 1117 per 1000 live births and 560 per 100000 live births respectively, a figure higher than the average sub-Saharan Africa.
Our biggest challenge is still malaria. We record 23% of malaria cases globally. With all these, it's not surprising that the life expectancy is just 54, that's way below in the wider regions according to the World Health Organization(WHO).
I fear that more is to come. With each year, things are getting worse in our health sector. Forget the recession, it's been the case for the past 15 years. The recession might have exasperated it, agreed but this is not time to blame the current administration. This is just a wake up. For if necessary measures are not taken, I fear that the future of this country's health sector is in jeopardy.
Our health infrastructure can't withstand the demand placed on it by the exasperating rate of patients. The life of a school mate was lost last year,why? Power failure! Poor power supply is something we're still battling with after 56 years of independence in every sector. The equipment aren't there and the few ones we've got are not powered. Many of our health care workers are left looking incompetent and inferior to their outside-the-country mates. The current administration disclosed plans to add 2000MW to the national grid this year,but no changes have been made.
We suffer yearly from both prevention and treatment due to lack of resources. As of 2004, we had 0.53 hospital beds per 1000 people. Good news, it increased to 0.8 beds per 1000 people by 2014, according to US Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration ( ITA), but that's still well below the African average.
The staffing is of similar story. As of 2014, we had the ratio of doctors per 1000 people stalled at 0.4. That's comparatively below that of South Africa which stood at 0.8 doctors per 1000 people. Our health sector is understaffed. We also have few nurses, 1.5 nurses per 1000 people. In 2014, we had only 3000 registered dentist through the country. Lack of resources is hampering the provision of care.
All these cumulated from the inability of each government administration to give the health sector a major ground in the annual budgets. The health spending accounts for just 3.65% of the 2016 budget. The inadequate public funding has made the health care sector to be dominated largely by private individuals.
Out of desperation and pity health workers now approach philanthropists to donate money for purchase of drugs and sundry,and medical equipment to supplement the meager contribution of the government to save the lives of poor patients. It's time for our government to get serious in prioritizing the health sector in annual budget and governance.
We must do away with the over-centralization of ministries by the federal government. In the governmental systems all over the world, only few are operated by the federal government while the states or regions tackle sectors like health,security and agriculture, etc, this is important to administer basic needs to the masses and not to some set of people. Our primary health centers should be revived.
Our health sector is becoming "brain drain" year after year . Industrial sources state that 33% of graduates trained in Nigeria's state medical schools migrate overseas within 10 years of graduation. The British Medical Council highlights Nigeria as one of the countries with the largest number of non UK qualified doctors registered to work in the UK. There are about 20 Federal Teaching Hospitals and 23 Federal and State Medical Center across the country. Those are to manage a country of 184 million people.
It's time we leave the do or die era our political leaders are wallowing in. The frightening level of poverty, penury and incredibly low standard of living in the county has increased maternal and child death in many health care centers.
In the past 15 years the whole country has been expecting a government that would accord much importance to the health sector. It seems they've forgotten that "health is wealth" again. Well they would have forgotten because at every slightest roaring of disease they run abroad. Excerpts from the President's speech at the NEC suggested that an estimated US$1bn is spent annually on medical treatment abroad.
If correct measures are not taken against the current increase in the country's population,then I see more problems knocking on our dear door.
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