On Saturday 22nd
September, 2012, some members of the Nigeria Muslim Forum, UK attended the
Annual General Meeting of Africa Healthcare Development Trust (AHDT), in
Manchester. Both organisations are registered charities, and their entire
members work voluntarily in order to contribute in one way or the other to the
development of Nigeria. AHDT under the leadership of Dr Ibrahim Hassan Jalo,
particularly focuses on healthcare intervention in rural areas, and providing
training through partnership with Nigerian doctors and teaching hospitals.
One of the speakers at
the meeting was a senior lecturer from the Faculty of Medicine at Ahmadu Bello
University Zaria, Dr Aminu Bakari. Dr
Bakari’s presentation which dwells on the challenges of healthcare provision in
Nigeria captivated the audience. It reveals why there is need for serious
intervention in the Nigerian healthcare system. What particularly caught my
attention in the presentation was what Dr Aminu described as “New hospitals” in
Nigeria. These new hospitals which are springing up in different parts of the
country are established by foreigners, and Indians seem to lead the way in
establishing those hospitals.
There are several
reasons why people should be concerned about those hospitals. First of all, how
qualified are the medical doctors to practice in Nigeria? Secondly, which is
equally worrying is that some of these hospitals are so quick to refer to even
the most basic cases that can be handled by the local doctors to foreign
countries. This is something that every concerned citizen should think about.
The third reason is the horrible experience that Nigerians face when applying
for visa, and on arrival at the foreign countries.
While the foreign
doctors come and establish hospitals in Nigeria whether for business purposes
or otherwise, the blame should lie in the door step of Nigerians, who from
different accounts invite some of the doctors to establish hospitals in
Nigeria. And if the foreign personal refuse to do their bidding, they threaten
them with expulsion from Nigeria, or revocation of their visa.
In all this, it is not
the corruption, or the medical tourism that is of major concern, the key issue
is that human life is at stake. Many people lose their lives either because
they have been given the wrong prescription, they have been treated by under
qualified doctors, or cases have been referred abroad, and by the time they
arrive the foreign country whether it is India, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Germany,
United Kingdom, it is too late to improve the situation.
But one thing I learnt
from my interaction with medical doctors, whom I can confidently say constitute
almost the highest percentage of settled professionals particularly in the UK,
is that the problem of healthcare in Nigeria, is not necessarily about medicine
itself. But about the attitude of healthcare officials.
One of the participants
at the Africa Healthcare Development meeting, and a highly experienced
consultant in the UK, Dr Bukar Wobi almost broke into tears as he was comparing
the decay in the Nigerian healthcare system 30 years ago, and what obtains
today. It was sad to hear that one of the State governments in Nigeria actually
donates a meagre 100, 000 Naira to one of the teaching hospitals in the State
even though, the teaching hospital is the main centre for healthcare
intervention, not only for that state, but for the neighbouring states as well.
Although I am not a
medical doctor by profession, but certainly if there is one area, that needs
improvement, not only in the health profession, but in other areas as well, it
is changing our attitude to work. What has been happening recently, in terms of
the treatment of Nigerians in the hands of Saudi authorities, the treatment of
Nigerians in South Africa, United Arab Emirates etc, is nothing but a
reflection of our attitude. The lackadaisical attitude of both the leaders and
the led has created an image of unserious nation, so rather than being angry
when other countries treat us harshly, we should look inward and reflect. Let
us think where we went wrong and take measures to address our shortcomings. But
as long as we continue to shift the blame to others, the more we will continue
to humiliate ourselves and our country.
Newcastle upon Tyne,
12:02
01/10/2012
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