Equipping Nigerian Healthcare System Part 2

Equipping Nigerian Healthcare System Part 2?

This is Part 1 of Equipping Nigerian Healthcare System if you missed it.

There is also cases of poor medical record. The medical history of an average Nigerian is non existing or cannot be easily accessed by medical personnel by a punch of numbers on a database. This has rendered the medical personnel incapacitated and limited as it is known that every doctor is as good as the diagnosis and known history of the patient. Until now it is even more difficult to manage accident and emergency cases in Nigeria even when the patient has a valid identification number. Therefore, it becomes pertinent that a central database be created for medical history of every Nigerian. This database should be cloud based and can be accessed from any part of the world using the right password which should be the last few digits of the patient national identification number. This will reduce time wasted in diagnosis during accident and emergency.

Internal displacement of citizens by terrorist all around Nigeria from north east, all the way to south east have negatively impacted the healthcare system. Primary health centers in various localities were either demolished, burned down or abandoned due to terror inflicted on the citizens by the terrorists and kidnappers scattered all around every states in Nigeria. The path to some of these health centers or hospitals are so dangerous that people who ply them may not live to tell the horror. Right now, security and safety of lives should be the sole objective of the government. I also implore community to seek out, the option of community policing and collaborating with security agencies of the federal government to obtain required security software’s and equipment to defend their communities and healthcare facilities.

Healthcare of the citizens is a priority to government globally, Nigeria government have more to do in subsidizing basic healthcare products such as drugs, supplements and diagnosis. In 2022, life expectancy at birth in Nigeria is about 61.33 years. More specifically, this figure equaled 60 years for males and 63 years for females. Life expectancy at birth in Nigeria is among the lowest in Africa as well as in the world. This can be associated to factor such as poverty. It is noteworthy that healthcare is not cheap but can be made affordable for the teaming masses of any nation by its government, using several innovate strategy and avenues. These includes but not limited to decentralization of public healthcare sector in Nigeria, engagement of public private partnership as seen in healthcare system of Saudi Arabia and other countries, offering of tax rebate to health worker and related organization and many more. Several organizations have partnered with the health sector in Nigeria despite the centralized system which does not allow public private partnership to thrive. Some of these organizations are GE in partnership with Anatomic Pathology Department of National hospital Abuja, responsible for provision of equipment and reagents (antibodies) for cancer screening. Global Health Surgical Services in partnership with Anatomic Pathology Department of Federal Medical Center, Jabi Abuja, responsible for provision of equipment, laboratory reagents, disposable and provision certain manpower to ensuring a seamless running of this strategic unit of the healthcare sector. Darlez Nigeria Ltd in partnership with the main laboratory of Federal Medical Center Jabi by providing needed equipment, reagents, kits and some level of manpower needed for the running of this department. And host of many others. However, the government and policy makers need to do more, as a matter of urgency by formulating policies that will enable public private partnership to rise to a global standard as it has become in other climes.