By Godswill Edward
The recent outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic has exposed the underbelly of many nations. For a moment, spirituality and belief in human capacity collapsed. However, as the dust begins to gradually settle, the imperatives of a strong and effective healthcare system to the socio-economic well-being of the people have become more glaring. The question then is, should there be another health crisis, what has Nigeria as a nation learnt from the current experience?
A preponderance of opinion seems to be that Nigeria is yet to learn much from the current experience. However, while the debate rages, there seems a flicker somewhere.
Before now, Akwa Ibom had made efforts to reposition its health facilities but the Covid-19 experience seems to have pushed her into an overdrive. Gone are the days that all secondary health institutions in the state were owned and run by Christian missionaries: St. Luke’s Hospital, Anua, Uyo; Mercy Hospital, Abak; St. Mary’s Hospital, Urua Akpan (Catholic Church); Methodist Hospital, Ituk Mbang in Uruan; Immanuel General Hospital, Eket (Lutheran Church); Qua Iboe Leprosy Hospital, Etinan, etc. Today, the story is different as any such ownership is merely by name as the government has not only taken over the responsibility for those facilities but has added quality others like Ibom Multi-Specialty Hospital.
A recent independent visit to some of the state’s health facilities was a real eye-opener. As a writer with special interest in human development, health and social services, my visit to Akwa Ibom health facilities was triggered by the recent hype on the just completed 300-bed International Isolation Centre, said to be “record-breaking”, since it was built in under three months. I was shown round the magnificent structure with inbuilt Molecular Virology Laboratory, which has received global applause from the World Health Organisation. The laboratory with a Category 3 PCR Machine has since commenced the testing of COVID-19 cases, a feat that has attracted encomiums from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to Governor Udom Emmanuel.
It is easy to reason that when Emmanuel took over as the democratically elected governor of Akwa Ibom in 2015, he obviously hit the ground running with deliberate focus on the health sector. That will explain why he has been able to digitalise the sector, within a short time, in line with international best practices. He seems to have adopted a multi-prong approach, thereby repositioning the primary, secondary and tertiary health institutions as well as the referral hospital, simultaneously. Today, St Luke’s Hospital, Anua in Uyo, and several health institutions hitherto owned by the missionaries have been turned around by government for the good of the people. The government has not only provided modern equipment, but has also built a new 300-bed gynecology/pediatric block at Anua. A similar rejuvenation has been replicated at seven secondary health institutions in Etinan, Ikono, Ituk Mbang, Ikot Okoro, Iquita, Eket, Awa, among others – all upgraded with modern equipment. I visited Eket, Etinan and Iquita because of their historical values.
A visit to the Ibom Multi-Specialty Hospital, which was built by former Governor Godswill Akpabio, revealed an enviable governance style in Akwa Ibom. Unlike in other states, despite the reported rift between Emmanuel and his predecessor, the hospital has not only been maintained but was recently boosted with N5bn worth of equipment. That is aside from the quarterly payment of N400million to offset bills incurred for some medical equipment supplied to the referral hospital, now managed by Clinotech Group, Canada.
It was intriguing to notice that while other states are busy making noise about their achievements, there is a state doing so much in silence. The thing to learn from here is that when our leaders claim to be working for the people, they should allow others to feel the impact of their deeds and praise them for same. For instance, a chat with some indigenes of Oruk Anam Local Government Area, where Emmanuel recently inaugurated two hospitals, showed how grateful they were. According to them, the government does not need to sing its praises. They, the people, will do that in gratitude for what they are benefitting. For instance, the indigenes said the General Hospital, Ikot Okoro, had been nonfunctional for several years, resulting in the death of many, until the recent government intervened. To underscore the usefulness of the hospital, according to records, just a month to its reactivation, 800 patients were already registered. Prior to this time, the hospital was treating six patients daily and a maximum of 170 monthly.
The healthcare challenges in Nigeria are not just about the physical structures. The human development is scarcely there. Most of our healthcare providers are poorly trained or not trained at all. While there is so much hue and cry over how much is budgeted or spent on healthcare development, not much is actualized. Most times, it is either the budgeted funds are never released or end up in private pockets. In Akwa Ibom, whatever is budgeted is properly tracked and actualization ensured. Result? Despite the challenges of Covid19, the training of over 100 doctors and nurses was facilitated in Basic Live-Support and Advanced Cardiac Live-Support with Medical Energy Experts in USA. Additional 20 Biomedical Engineers as well as 272 registered nurses and midwives were trained under the Mandatory Continuing Professional Development Programme (MCPDP).
To further enhance healthcare delivery, doors were thrown open, recently, for the recruitment of over 250 medical doctors, 400 nurses and 100 consultants. Health workers in the state are also to enjoy improved 80 per cent salary increase from this month (August), despite the biting economic realities occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic. I learnt from some medical personnel that the state regularly pays the consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) and CONHESS to medical and dental practitioners and nurses.
If health facilities are built and salaries paid regularly but nothing for the staff to work with, it would still amount to nothing. But Akwa Ibom lives to its billing by ensuring quality and qualitative equipment to save lives. A few months ago, the state took delivery of some of the 100 containers of medical hardware procured for the Emergency Response Centres (ERC) in the state. They include automated beds with ultra-sound scanners, electro-cardiogram machines, spot vital signs devices, endoscopes, Hoyer lifts, oxygen concentrators, etc.
Other areas the state excels are in sensitization and partnership. Specifically, awareness campaigns are mounted periodically on non-communicable diseases like hypertension, sickle cell disease, cancer, diabetes mellitus, malaria, HIV/AIDS, etc., while also facilitating partnership with international organizations, donor agencies and corporate bodies. A recent 21-day free eye-care outreach, in collaboration with MTN Foundation, saw 15,350 people screened for various eye diseases, with 1,150 eye surgeries and distribution of 2000 free eyeglasses.
The Akwa Ibom experience speaks to the commitment of our leaders to do the right thing, despite the challenges. It is obvious that Akwa Ibom had focused on revamping the health sector long before covid19. The advent of the pandemic could, therefore, not slow down the government’s resolve to ensure accessible, affordable and qualitative healthcare for the people. Our leaders at various levels need to be committed and focused on service delivery. We need to build solid institutions that can stand the test of time, so we don’t have to reactionary all the time. Akwa Ibom has set the pace.
- Edward is a Lagos-based writer and public-affairs commentator.
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