FG told to increase geriatric centres in Nigeria

Against the backdrop of the peculiar health needs of older persons, University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan has assured that it is ready to support the care of older persons with human capacity and urged the establishment of more geriatric centres across the country.

UCH’s Chief Medical Director, Professor Jesse Otegbayo who made this disclosure at the opening of a two-week Basic Certificate Course in Geriatric Medicine at the hospital, said the hospital had been building the expertise of different cadres of health workers because the care of the elderly requires a multidisciplinary and multidimensional approach.

Professor Otegbayo, represented by the Hospital’s Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee, Dr Abiodun Adeoye, stated that everyone will age and so the importance of giving cognizance to building the capacity of health workers to provide quality geriatric care.

He added, “we will encourage that more geriatric centres are opened and we are willing to support them with our human resources.”

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Director, Chief Tony Anenih Geriatric Centre, University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Dr Olufemi Olowookere, stated that the seventh basic certificate course in geriatric medicine is to introduce to the participants emerging geriatric medicine and properly understanding the care of the older person.

According to him, “you need to have a proper understanding of their care before you can be able to manage them effectively. They don’t present in the same way as other people do. For example, a younger person with pneumonia could have fever, chills, chest pain and difficulty with breathing. But for older persons, it might not really be so.”

“Last year, the federal government came up with a National Policy on Ageing; there was the first ageing Summit in 2018, at the instance of Mr President.  Also, the government established, what we call the National Senior Citizens Center, which is the first of its kind in the country.

“But still, doctors must be well tutored or trained to have a proper understanding of the care of older persons.  It is not just the social aspects, that the National Senior Citizens Center is trying to come up with, but their Healthcare is also important. They need to be well; they need to be healthy before you can say go and live in a long-term care facility.”

Dr Olowookere stated that the course since its inception had trained over 185 doctors across the country, about 75 of them are majorly consultants from different medical specialities.