Chai! Wetin dey happen for Nigeria health system no be small thing o! Na serious wahala wey don dey happen since Chimamanda Adichie lose her pikin, Nkanu, for Lagos hospital. She don talk say doctors no give am oxygen when e dey crisis, instead dem over-sedate am. How? This na big loss wey no be joke! How person go lose im 21-month-old son like that? And wetin we go talk about the anaesthetist wey dem suspend? E go bring Nkanu back? No!
But na so e be, just few days after Adichie wahala, we hear say one mama, Aishatu Umar, wey get five pikin, don die for Kano after surgery. You sef fit believe say dem forget scissors inside her body? E be like movie, but na real life! After four months of severe pain, she go through another surgery wey lead to her death. This na outrage wey no fit make sense for our eyes!
The complaints no go finish anytime soon. Doctors wey no sabi their work well, dem dey underpaid, and no motivation for them to do their job. As we dey talk, na so Nollywood actress, Toyin Lawani, come hide mouth enter matter too, talk say the same Euracare Hospital don give am medical wahala after e do spinal implant wey cost N100 million. Wetin be all these?!
Another guy, Alfred Ogene, wey build house for the city, don dey sue R-Jolad Hospital for N800 million, because dem mess up his urinary system. This no be joke, my people! Medical negligence dey scatter this country. Even those hospitals wey dey registered, dem still dey misdiagnose patient, and lives dey go because of this negligence.
Doctors dey work like say dem no be human. E get where dem dey do 100 hours work per week. For UK, dem dey recommend 48 hours. How person go survive like that? Na why we still dey lack doctors, as dem dey run go abroad like say dem dey carry their hands for something wey plenty. The World Health Organisation talk say we suppose get one doctor for every 600 patient, but see as we dey one doctor for 3,333 patient. This na bad market, my people!
Plus, the Joint Health Sector Unions don declare strike since November 15, and the government dey play ball with their salary. Court even talk say NARD no be legit, wetin be all these wahala? Abeg, our politicians no fit meet the Abuja Declaration? Dem no dey allocate 15 percent of budget to health. For 2026, dem allocate N2.48 trillion to health sector, but e mean say almost nothing for individual level – just N10,400 per person for year, which be about N870 per month. This na serious matter, my people.
Did you know say over 70 percent of health spending for Nigeria na out-of-pocket? People dey spend their life savings just to treat small sickness! Poor families dey fall into poverty because of hospital bills. Wealthy Nigerians dey spend $1.1 billion on medical tourism every year. Na only hospital dey register na, to see road, but the remaining ones, wey dey operate anyhow no dey give people hope.
To fix all this gobe, we need extend health insurance to the poorest 83 million Nigerians. The states and local governments suppose get their Primary Health Centres working well. Make dem carry out preventive care wey go save more life. We also get to invest heavily into ambulances and first aid equipment – you no fit get Anthony Joshua dey enter police van after accident, that na disgrace!
The welfare of health workers must change to stop dem from running away. If doctor yan mistake, make dem face am! No more hiding errors under ground. Victims of negligence need to get justice; we no fit say “make we leave am for God.”
Lastly, the Nigeria Power for Health Initiative must take shape sharp-sharp! We need hospitals wey go fit provide light. Only proper health system go fit protect life, not to dey put am for danger. Make we dey demand better, my people!
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