We are familiar with the popular quote "health is wealth". Which identified the importance of being healthy to a person, the family and the nation at large.
The healthcare system of every nation forms a bedrock for the growth of the people and the country. It is also a reflection of the priorities of the country.
How would you rate the healthcare system in your country or community?
Being a doctor, I would rate the health care system of my country at 70% which is a good score but it leaves room for much improvement. Especially since it involves health and the relatively insignificant percentage becomes very significant because we are talking about human life.
Why 70%? what is Good?
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Availability of Specialists
This is something Nigeria is blessed with, there are a lot of consultants in various fields who are highly specialised and able to handle a lot of cases within those specialties regardless of the form or shape it takes. These specialists are not only skilled but also very adaptable and can easily improvise. This is a very important quality because Nigeria being a third world country does not readily have all the necessary equipment to handle many cases and as such you must improvise else the patient dies on your hands.
These specialists in turn train students and juniors doctors to become specialists too. -
Ability to Diagnose without Over-investigating the patient
Similar to improvisation, this quality is also extremely important because most patients cannot afford hospital bills not to talk of paying for all the investigations necessary. It therefore becomes important to be a good clerks man and very skilled with eliciting clinical signs with the aim of arriving at diagnosis and the Nigerian doctor is very good with this which is part of the reason why other countries seek them out. -
The Abundance of Hospitals both Government and Private owned.
This eliminates the excuse of distance most times and as such one who is willing to seek healthcare receives it in no distant time.
Every state has at least two government owned hospitals of which most states have four and some have upto six or more. Not to mention the private hospitals which are also numerous.
The Bad
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Inadequate Emergency Response
The emergency response in my country is nothing to write home about, no one should be in a position where he needs emergency response from a Nigerian hospital especially for immediately life threatening situations.
Ranging from lack of sufficient ambulances to the poor road networks and incessant police checkpoints to finally coming to the hospital and facing the protocols therein, it's a sad stuff.
The inability of the patient to pay for a lot of necessary investigations and the need for the specialist to improvise is majorly due to these factors; -
Inadequate/Mismanagement of The Health Insurance
A very good number of patients pay out of pocket. This is Very Bad for any country that wants a progressive healthcare system.
The health insurance is meant to cover majority of these fees if not all and at minimum cost. This would also enable the hospitals to have enough funds to acquire the best equipments suitable for procedures. -
Ignorance of the Masses and over dependence on drug sellers;
The average Nigerian calls the dug seller "Doc" which is the same name I am being called after spending my years in medical school.
He doesn't go to the hospital when he is sick but rather meets the drug seller with his symptoms. The drug seller then prescribes medications for each symptom but none for the disease. So the symptoms may disappear but would definitely come back, he then goes back to the drug seller who either repeats the drugs or goes to a more expensive drug of same class. The cycle continues until the body is able to deal with the illness or worst case, the disease progresses and the patient now remembers that there is a hospital.
The Ugly
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Mismanagement of Government Hospitals.
The government hospitals are mostly not being managed properly, with the exception of a few. As a result, there's a decline in quality of healthcare despite the availability of Specialists in each field. -
Masquerading of Quacks as Health Care Specialists
There are some places you visit, they claim to be hospitals but they are not run by Doctors. They may even employ unsuspecting doctors and place them on a payroll but hey, who are you to question your employer or demand for his license? It's usually the other way round.
The effect?
They don't know their limits and usually cause unnecessary complications or death which leads to law suits and eventual exposure.
what Innovative Solutions would you suggest to Improve Access to Quality Healthcare in your country or community?"
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Health Education;
This to me, is at the forefront of solutions. The average citizen should be able to visit the hospital when needed and to see a qualified doctor, not a quack.
Health Education also involves the most important aspect of health care; Prevention. A good number of diseases are preventable through diet, lifestyle, immunization & vaccination. Those not preventable have complications which early detection can prevent. -
A More Encompassing Health Insurance Policy
This is necessary to reduce the burden of payment from the patients neck which is in itself a big discouragement for most people when it is time to seek healthcare. -
Active Regulatory Bodies;
To check the establishment of quack centres and ensure that existing centres are up and doing at all times, this is a necessity. -
Activation of an Active Emergency Response System
This would involve all the segments of Emergency response especially that which happens when the patient has finally arrived at the hospital. This should be part of what a regulatory body should check in a hospital and put necessary measures to ensure that those found wanting make the necessary changes to become qualified.
I am inviting my friends and colleagues @chuksmeezy and @chukwukajrr to share their thoughts on this matter as I know they are well knowledgeable in this field.
Here's the link to the question here
All images are mine
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