Omo, no be small matter! The House of Representatives don bust the table, dey shout at our university teaching hospitals, say dem need to refocus for medical research. Dem dey warn say if dem no change dem ways, e go hard for Nigeria to dey prepared for health wahala wey fit show face anytime.
Dis matter come out during budget defence session wey involve all the federal teaching hospitals and medical centres. Patrick Umoh, wey be the Chairman for the House Committee on Health Institutions, no gree rest this time around. Him dey vex say many of these teaching hospitals don lose focus; instead of being research hubs, dem don just dey behave like ordinary general hospitals.
Umoh dey point finger, talk say dem dey allocate just small change, less than 1% of dem budget, to research. Wetin be this? He dey shock say as dem dey talk budget, nobody dey put research matter for ground; dem dey focus only on infrastructure. Na so dem dey become part of the problem wey we dey face.
During COVID-19, na wahala be dis. Nigeria dey depend on foreign research because we no get our own solid foundation to stand on. Even traditional medicine people sabi do better during the wahala. Umoh talk say e don visit many teaching hospitals, but dem no fit show am where dem dey do research!
Na true talk o! Teaching hospitals suppose dey lead the research waka. For abroad, na dem dey drive the breakthroughs for health matters. But for Naija, underfunding and poor infrastructure dey drag us back. Now we dey always react to health crises instead of being ahead.
As usual, Bupwatda, wey represent the Chief Medical Directors, don come talk say yes, na so e be. Dem dey try but systems dey choke dem. Dem dey only drop small cash for research, and e dey always disappear before dem fit do anything. Him dey beg for more funding, say we need better hands to work and gree our doctors to stay, because the “japa syndrome” no be small matter.
Bupwatda still yan say na about 30% of 2025 budget don land for federal hospitals so far. E shock! Dis one go make operation tight, and light issue no dey help matter. Dem dey spend serious money for electric bills because come see wetin dem dey use generator for. Na so dem dey propose solar mini-grids for dem hospitals, wey go save plenty cash and help service dem equipment.
As e be now, we need to support these new federal health centres wey just start. E no go easy without grants to kick off wey go help dem operate well. Make we rally around our health sector, so we fit build adequate research capacity wey go enhance our medical system.
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