Sekinah Lawal/
Nigerians have been urged to demand from public office holders, as a matter of fundamental human right, a quality healthcare delivery system
The call was made at the launch of an e-health website in memory of the late Mrs Busola Odedina, who died a year ago
Speaking on the topic; ‘Nigerian Medical Health System’s Current Challenges’, Dr Rotimi Adewoye, a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, called on Nigerians to see access to quality healthcare delivery system as a fundamental human right that must be enshrined in the Nigerian constitution and readily available to all
He also called for the establishment of a Standard Monitoring Council to punish erring doctors.
“It is so sad that healthcare delivery is not on a constitutional recommendation in Nigeria. The entire Nigerian system is a big problem which is also affecting healthcare delivery system. Many deaths are due to medical errors as well as late report, wrong diagnosis, wrong treatment among other factors. Government at all levels really need to declare a state of emergency in the health sector.”
Dr Adewole urged government at all levels to encourage the purchase of modern quality hospital equipment with interest-free loan while encouraging well-meaning Nigerians to be actively involved in politics in order to ensure good governance.”
“The government must take full responsibility for the good health of all Nigerians while health insurance scheme must cover all Nigerians and all ailments,” Dr Adewole added
In his reaction, Mr Bosun Odedina, husband of the deceased, said that they launched the Nigeriaehealth.org.ng so that people could have free access to quality healthcare services.
“Also launched in the UK same day, people should visit the website, ask questions bothering them on their health and they will have experts attending to their questions,” he said.
According to Mr Kunle Odedina, the son of the late Busola Odedina, his mum passed away in a Nigerian hospital under a circumstance that pointed to negligence and sub-standard medical practice. She was 49.
Dr Adewoye said, “Every day, very many promising Nigerians suffer such fate; unknown and unreported. To die is not really a problem since we all as mortals have signed up for it as a part of the living experience. What is most painful however is avoidable death and Nigeria is replete with deaths that are avoidable to the point where the country is almost like a coffin of human carcass from our dysfunctional health management system which manifests itself in different forms as follows: Carelessness of our caregivers – Inadequate experience of Medical Personnel – Badly run health institutions – Lack of information on the part of patients as to their ailments
No nation can be truly great when its citizens lack basic healthcare system.
“As a matter of fact, the development of a nation is measured by a global tool known as the human development index (HDI) which is a statistic composite index of life expectancy, education, health and per capita income indicators. This tool is used to rank countries into four tiers of human development. Calculation of the index combines four major indicators: – Life Expectancy for Health – Expected Years of Schooling – Mean Years of Schooling for Education – Gross National Income per capita for a standard of living.
“Every year the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) ranks countries based on the HDI statistics released in its annual report.
“For the 2018 report as released freshly, Nigeria is ranked 157th out of 187 countries of the world so ranked. For the so-called Giant of Africa, this is an abysmal performance. “It is the reason Busola didn’t survive a mere routine procedure. It borders on quality of our medical personnel and the advancement in modern health care delivery system they have been exposed to.
“Having come to this conclusion; we as Nigerians have two options, either to accept the current state of affairs and throw up our hands despondently or to do something about the situation.
“We have decided to do something in our own little way to advance the care platform. Therefore, as part of activities to mark the first memorial anniversary of her passing, the family decided to launch Nigeriaehealth.org.ng as an online platform for relevant information and advice on health-related issues.
“The essence of this is to provide an avenue for the second opinion on various medical issues in order to properly guide citizens to make the right choices. The website is designed to offer the opportunity of second-guessing our healthcare system in such a way that we can help to save lives in the long run.
“Nigeriaehealth.org.ng is an online platform for the discussion and dissemination of information on health matters only. The website parades professional and experienced medical professionals such as General Practitioners and Surgeons, Pharmacists and Physiotherapists, Nurses and others from across the globe who have indicated interest to provide voluntary medical support services for those who may want to seek information or clarification on health issues.”