Health Centres are vital facilities in tertiary institutions. But in many schools, these facilities are no longer what they used to be, provoking protests by students. EDDY UWOGHIREN (400-Level Medicine and Surgery, University of Benin) writes.
It took the electrocution of a 300-Level Accounting student of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Oluchi Anekwe, for her colleagues to know what have become of the institution’s Health Centre. Last August, a high-tension cable fell on Oluchi and her younger sister, Uju, as they returned from church. Oluchi went into a coma. Uju called for help. They were rushed to the Health Centre, where the workers allegedly asked for their identity cards as condition for treatment.
A few minutes later, Oluchi, who was the best student in her class, died; Uju survived to relive the experience.
There was a similar development at the University of Ibadan (UI), where a 200-Level Education student, Mayowa Alaran, slumped while watching a football match in a poorly-ventilated common room. When the student was rushed to the clinic, a doctor was said to have demanded for his medical card before attending to him. In the ensuing argument, Mayowa died.
Oluchi and Mayowa died because of the disorganised operations of their schools clinics. Several lives have been lost to the lackadaisical attitude of health workers, who students accuse of not being proactive in responding to emergency in line with best practice and professionalism.
The story is the same in all tertiary institutions across the nation, where some students have died because of the professional misconduct of health workers.
Penultimate week, students of the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) in Lagos destroyed the school’s clinic following the death of a final year Office Management and Technology student, Charity Dazan, who was allegedly rejected when she was rushed there. At the time of this report, YABATECH remained shut to prevent a breakdown of law and order.
The recurring deaths in these health centres is raising fear among students. The clinics, they said, have become glorified mortuaries where bright students are killed.
Students, who spoke to CAMPUSLIFE, were not happy with the development.
Tope Ademola, a student of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile Ife, Osun State, said the clinic was the worst place to be in her school.
“To me, the school health centre should better not be in place. Our clinic seems to be a place purposely set up to kill students. The medical workers do nothing, yet they get salaries for being lazy. There are no equipment and good medications, except paracetamol,” she said.
Tope recalled her experience when she had skin infection.
“Before I finished my explanation, the doctor prescribed a drug. He did not allow me to show him the rashes on my arm. I begged him to hear me out. At the end, I was given the drugs and asked to buy the rest outside.”
Cynthia Okafor, a final year Economics student of the University of Abuja (UNIABUJA), wondered why she would visit the school clinic. “I don’t want to walk to meet untimely death,” she said, adding: “I cannot risk my life in the hands of quacks employed in the school clinic. The doctors keep prescribing the same drugs for various health conditions. I go to private hospital whenever I take ill, not the school clinic.”
Checks by our correspondent showed that the conditions of clinics in tertiary institutions are nothing to write home about. They are faced with common challenges, including inadequate equipment, shortage of drugs, limited consulting rooms, few bed spaces, paucity of funds and bad manners of the workers, among others.
CAMPUSLIFE visited the health centre of a College of Education in Edo State, where students sat for hours, waiting to have appointment with doctors. It was 9:45am but the consulting rooms were yet to be opened.
About an hour after, two doctors arrived, but they did not immediately attend to the waiting students. They stood in the lobby for another 30 minutes, discussing.
Mercy Omage, a final year Home Economics Education student, told our correspondent: “Any student coming to the school clinic should prepare for a whole day and cancell other engagement he has for that day.”
She continued: “If I had my way, I would not have come here. Most students don’t come here, because they don’t trust the services in this clinic. Apart from the laziness of the doctors, the nurses are rude. It takes hours for them to fetch your case note and when they are done, you hear them pronouncing your name as though they don’t know how to read.
“The doctors are too quick to hand over a prescription paper to you. All they do is to write. They won’t even examine patients. It is as if the doctors were forced into the profession. The attitude of health workers these days is just annoying.”
“The college health workers simply lack empathy,” Gloria Iduwonze, another student, said.
Pointing to a rusty bed in the health centre, Gloria said: “Is this our definition of health centre in 21st century? I doubt if this place has oxygen cylinders.”
A final year Law student of UI, who pleaded for anonymity, relived his experience at the school medical centre. He said: “Last year, I had a tissue growth in my left ear and they recommended ear syringe. I waited for over two hours in pains for a nurse to get a kettle to boil water. The nurse went to another office to get a kettle. In the waiting period, nobody told me what was going on. They acted as though, if you can’t wait, go somewhere else. That is a kind of wickedness students are facing at the school health centre.”
Dr Comfort Enofe, Director of Health Centre of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), admitted that higher institutions are facing challenges in meeting the medical needs of students. She hinged the problem on inadequate funding of the higher institutions, saying government needed to look into the issue, with the objective to boost service delivery.
She said: “I cannot speak for other schools, but I see what happens here. Our service has improved and students don’t have to wait for long hours before they see doctors. They can call and book appointment 24 hours prior to visit. When they come, their files are taken directly to the doctors. This has helped to reduce waiting time.”
To improve medical service, Dr Enofe said the UNIBEN management has inaugurated an Operating Theatre in the school health centre to upgrade the facility from a primary healthcare unit to a functional hospital.
“We have a 16-bed ward, where we admit students and staff. Those cases that are beyond us in terms of manpower and equipment are immediately referred to our Teaching Hospital,” she added.
Beyond provision of equipment, students said there was need for health workers to be dedicated and empathetic to patients.
“The school health workers need to show empathy to students seeking medical attention. If this is lacking, there is nothing to be achieved even if the health centres have the best facilities,” said Emmanuel Edigberhi.
