Reported surge in medical errors and negligence, which has been impacting badly on the well being and wellbeing of Nigerians, is hardlysurprising, contemplating the collection of woes usually afflicting that vital sector. Clearly, the suffocating Nigerian healthcare system is getting ready to collapse. Other than the medical mind drain attributable to fixed exodus of one of the best docs from Nigeria nearly every day, the surge in medical errors is compounded by insufficient coaching for well being employees, staffing shortages, and poor hospital infrastructure throughout the 36 states—situations that’s additional eroding public confidence within the nation’s healthcare sector.
Current studies point out that Lagos, Kano, Rivers, Kaduna, and Oyo states have the very best charges of healthcare negligence. In Lagos, overcrowding and gear shortages have contributed to medical errors. Kano and Rivers face points with insufficient coaching and useful resource deficiencies, whereas Kaduna struggles with affected person misdiagnosis and incorrect remedy. Oyo State’s hospital services, infrastructure, and staffing are insufficient. The tragic penalties of those medical errors are extreme and far-reaching. Past affected person mortality, they trigger irreparable hurt, together with nervousness, despair, post-traumatic stress dysfunction for households, everlasting disabilities, and a diminished high quality of life. The financial burden of medical errors is substantial, with estimates suggesting that preventable errors value the healthcare system billions of {dollars} yearly.
A pitiable facet of the state of affairs is that docs concerned in negligence or medical errors are not often prosecuted, not to mention punished to function a deterrent to different erring practitioners. The reality is that the nation operates in a dysfunctional system that serves as a protected haven for negligent medical practitioners. Nigerians reside in making an attempt instances, aggravated by lack of purposeful management. The picture of Nigeria as a beacon of humanitarianism and ethical renaissance has light. The worth positioned on human life has diminished. The loss of life of a fellow human being not frightens us. Whereas docs are sometimes victims of overwork and fatigue, medication has turn out to be a profit-driven enterprise. Opposite to the Hippocratic Oath, the motivation of many Nigerian docs is not to avoid wasting lives however to maximise revenue.
For instance, Nigeria is the second nation on this planet with the very best maternal mortality price. It’s also ranked third globally for toddler mortality and has overtaken India because the nation with the very best variety of under-five deaths. In 2018, Nigeria was ranked as probably the most harmful locations on this planet for ladies to present start. The identical yr, Nigeria was additionally listed among the many worst-hit international locations by malaria and had the very best variety of malnourished kids globally. Moreover, it ranked first for the very best variety of individuals missing entry to primary major healthcare.
At present, a sudden loss of life epidemic is sweeping throughout Nigeria, and life expectancy has drastically diminished to 35 years. Nigerians proceed to die from preventable ailments. Most public hospitals undergo from extreme shortages of medical gear, docs, and personnel. This explains why the first healthcare system for stopping ailments similar to polio, cholera, and measles is nearly non-existent in lots of elements of Nigeria.
To mitigate the above tragic penalties, authorities in any respect ranges ought to declare a state of emergency within the Nigerian well being sector. The system should prioritize affected person security, put money into high quality enchancment initiatives, and foster a tradition of transparency and accountability. The primary anchor in our technique to enhance the wellbeing of the common Nigerian is to offer the citizenry with unimpeded entry to a purposeful major healthcare system. By addressing the basis causes of medical errors and implementing efficient options, Nigeria can guarantee safer healthcare for its residents. Pressing consideration is required to stem the tide of medical negligence and restore belief within the healthcare system.
The Federal Ministry of Well being in Abuja, in addition to its counterparts in most states, is in dire want of reform. We’d like a correctly targeted Ministry of Well being that’s dedicated to tackling the actual well being challenges affecting Nigerians, not one which seems to undermine the nation’s human capital.Entry to inexpensive healthcare companies is a constitutional proper, not a privilege. By advantage of Part 17 of the 1999 Structure, the federal government is obliged to enhance the welfare of Nigerian residents by making certain they’ve entry to enough medical and well being services. By fulfilling this obligation, the billions of Naira squandered on medical tourism yearly might be saved. Major healthcare and outpatient clinic companies in Nigeria needs to be decentralized to achieve struggling and dying ladies and youngsters in each state, native authorities, village, and ward neighborhood in Nigeria.
Furthermore, important medication are not accessible or inexpensive for Nigerians affected by diabetes, kidney failure, prostate most cancers, nervousness, despair, hypertension, hypertension, and different situations. Is President Tinubu conscious that Nigeria agreed in 2013 to abide by the advice of the ECOWAS Committee that drug importation within the African Sub-Area ought to appeal to zero % obligation? Is he conscious that neighbouring African international locations are working beneath a zero-tax regime, plus decrease port costs, on drug importation of their respective international locations? If 80% of the drugs consumed in Nigeria are imported, there isn’t any must impose heavy duties on drug imports.
Our educating hospitals must be re-equipped. Complete medical health insurance schemes needs to be inaugurated and applied in all of the states of the federation. Medical doctors and nurses should change their hostile attitudes towards sufferers. Erring medical docs, nurses and medical personnel needs to be dropped at justice regardless of whose ox is gored.
By advantage of the Hippocratic Oath, which docs take at their induction, they’re obliged to avoid wasting lives always. A couple of years in the past, about 800 Canadian docs working in Quebec Province staged a protest in opposition to their wage enhance. The protesting docs argued that they might not, in good conscience, settle for a wage enhance whereas sufferers “reside with an absence of entry to required companies due to drastic cuts in recent times.” This was a exceptional present of altruism and humanitarianism that Nigerian docs and nurses ought to imbibe.
However, authorities in any respect ranges ought to pay commensurate salaries and welfare packages to medical docs, nurses, and different healthcare personnel training within the nation. It is not sensible that whereas most public hospitals in Nigeria undergo from a scarcity of medical practitioners, nurses, and different healthcare personnel, our greatest docs, nurses, and medical professionals are excelling overseas in varied medical fields.
