A United States and Canada trained medical practitioner, Dr. Akeem Anifowoshe, has decried the poor state of Nigeria’s healthcare system, stating that the inefficiency in the sector was a hydra-headed monster that needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency.

According to him, until healthcare becomes readily accessible to Nigerians irrespective of their status and location, the country would continue to grapple with issues of poor health.

 

Recounting how he lost an aunt in an unfortunate manner after a road accident along Lagos-Ibadan expressway, due to lack of proper treatment, Anifowoshe proposed that a preventive approach was the best strategy to curb the increasing number of deaths in the country.

 

“Accidents do happen; but imagine what happens when the accident victim, though rescued from the scene, dies in the intensive care unit of a government teaching hospital after three days, even though she was said to be responding to treatment. Such is the state of apathy that bedevils Nigerian government hospitals,” he lamented.

 

He said the aunt, who was also a nurse, was involved in the accident while returning from Redemption Camp, Mowe, Ogun state after attending one of the Holy Ghost services organised by the Redeemed Christian Church.

 

“While on top speed, the driver of the commercial vehicle did not notice an empty crate in the middle of the road, and ran straight into it. There was a spark, and soon enough, fire surrounded the entire bus. Luckily, her daughter and sister escaped with minor injuries, but because she was suffering from arthritis, coupled with high blood pressure, she found it difficult to escape.

 

“When she was rescued, she had sustained third degree burns from her shoulder down. She was rushed to a private hospital nearby, but they didn't have the facilities for treatment so they referred her to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH). While there, she was transferred to the ICU of the hospital and her burns were covered with silver lining. However, because of her high blood pressure, she was supposed to be on a compulsory daily medication. She appealed to the nurses and doctors that she needed to take her medication, but all her pleas fell on deaf ears and she died”. He said.

 

 

If a preventive approach had been taken, Anifowoshe explained that the ugly situation would have been prevented.

 

He therefore advised that the healthcare system be given priority so that unnecessary deaths occasioned by poor treatment by hospitals would be a thing of the past.

 

“In advanced countries, health care is treated as a fundamental right of every citizen; the government is therefore responsible for providing quality health care for its people. Back here, the situation is rather dismal; the health policies are well crafted but lack effective implementation. The macroeconomic reality of most Nigerians lead to the perception that quality health care is not readily accessible to all; this perception unfortunately, has led to apathy. As taxpaying citizens, we have a right to demand quality health care of those we put in power,” he declared.

 

On his return to Nigeria, he said he has been propelled by the zeal to give back to his country. “Having lived abroad for 26 years, I was exposed to a system that sees preventive health as a necessity. It is a system that creates an enabling environment for research in the field of medicine, such that improvement in the quality of health care delivery becomes inevitable. My sojourn abroad was quite fulfilling, and I'm here to give back in terms of knowledge and experience and of course expertise.”

 

“My team and I have established a well-equipped multipurpose health facility; Kleinburg Medical centre. It’s an outpatient medical centre and our goal is to provide world class efficient healthcare services in the community. We would be providing family health services, urgent care, health maintenance, specialist services, a well-stocked pharmacy, laboratory services, ultrasound, and MedSpa, a relatively new concept in Medicine.

 

“Again, anyone who comes into our facility will get help because we are set up in such a manner that provides in house specialists such as dentists, gynaecologists, ultra sonographers, pharmacists and so on. We will, to a large extent, replicate western health care in Nigeria with a view to revolutionising the industry as a whole.” He stated.

 

By Martins Ifijeh

This Day