SINCE 1960, not much effort has been made by successive governments to truly pay attention to the Nigerian health sector in a holistic manner. Neither federal nor state budgets ever met the global UN benchmark for health.
The result has been very costly for citizens that are lucky enough to survive beyond the age of five. Indeed, Nigeria has one of the highest maternal and child mortality cases. In essence, the Nigerian mother and child, the dual global hope for the future, are perennially at the risk of poor health and even death every minute.
It is therefore not surprising that a great percentage of deaths in the country are traceable to medical errors in diagnosis, staff negligence, lack of modern equipment, poorly trained and poorly monitored medical staff, very poor infrastructure and other systemic problems. So, Nigerians die from very preventable circumstances and the country is worse for it.
Despite losing some prominent Nigerians like late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Sonny Okosun, Dora Akunyili and very recently, Channels TV presenter, Binta Badmus, to this shambolic health sector no serious actions are taken to prevent future deaths.
Sadly though, these popular Nigerians are mere metaphors for the millions who die daily due to a flawed health system. No one seems to be truly in charge. The government agencies and professional associations that are charged with ensuring diligence and the protection of patients seem very lethargic enforcing the laws and punishing offenders as a deterrent to others.
A random research usually confirms the fact that medical errors in different shades have victims in many Nigerian families. This is appalling as health, they say, is wealth. Prosperous nations place premium on the health and education of its citizens. The huge losses in human capital affect the country seriously.
We feel saddened that successive governments have been very hypocritical about health issues. While they dangle carrots during political campaigns and in coup speeches in the military era, most political elites and other public servants that ought to make the health sector functional rush abroad to get medical attention while the people they are supposed to serve and care for die at home. This is one of the blights on the nation’s international image.
If governments are truly serious about development, the health sector ought to be prioritised such that every citizen is guaranteed basic good and affordable healthcare. It ought to be a thing of national pride and security for public officials to be treated in Nigerian hospitals. Wasting tax payers’ money to access healthcare in other countries is one of the hypocrisies of many post-independence African elites.
Nigeria with the abundance of human and material resources can do better to save its citizens when elected officials and institutions wake up to their responsibilities.
Global agencies spend millions annually in the heath sector to preserve lives. Therefore, governments at all levels cannot afford to see their human capital decimated as a result of acts of negligence. More money must be invested in training, infrastructure and monitoring as in most other countries.
However, it is left for the people too to try to hold their elected people to account. It is by so doing that the officials would take their responsibilities more seriously.
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