Over the years, there has been a progressive decline in the Nigerian health sector. It is so disheartening that the health institutions that should be properly managed and taken care of by the Nigerian government have been neglected and the current and the previous governments are serial causes of this negligence.
Nigerians are now left alone to suffer and source for good healthcare by themselves due to the failure of the government to provide good healthcare for its citizens. To further compound the issue, President Muhammdu Buhari, who ought to lead by example for other Nigerian leaders to emulate, is guilty of this. He left for the United Kingdom for his routine medical check up weeks ago. Is our healthcare system not good enough to cater for his medical needs?
President Buhari-led administration’s claims to have implemented and facilitated a lot of infrastructural projects within the health sector is not left out. The question here is that are these so-called projects properly maintained, equipped and financed? Or why will the president keep spending and awarding money for projects without believing in them?
Truth to be told, our health system is dilapidating gradually. The health sector is nothing to write home about. Why should government officials run abroad to receive treatment, after claiming to have spent billions of naira on infrastructural project in the country, the health sector included?
Why do our governors, senators, honourables, ministers, and others travel abroad to receive treatment? The best answer to these questions is that they do not belief in their actions. They believe they will always receive the best treatment abroad irrespective of what they do in their own country, which should never be the thinking of a good government officials that were voted for to protect the lives and properties of their people. They run abroad just because they have failed woefully in maintaining our health system.
Assuming Nigeria’s health system is up to the task, properly equipped with modern facilities, staff and medical practitioners treated well with instant payment of salaries, bonuses, incentives and other necessary things in place, things would not be this bad. I honestly doubt if the Nigerian government knows or feels what Nigerians are going through when it comes to health challenges, coupled with inadequate health facilities, hospitals, etc.
It is no longer a surprise that in today’s Nigeria, some people are frustrated to the extent of going on the social media to seek support by circulating fliers to get money to treat themselves, especially those who are to travel abroad to undergo a particular surgery and other health issues. These days, some medical practitioners are leaving the country for Saudi Arabia, United States, Canada, United Kingdom to secure jobs that come with good pay. Working conditions in these countries cannot to compared to Nigeria where one struggles to get a good job and sometimes embark on strike to get entitlements.
Without a doubt, it is time our leaders took adequate responsibility and push hard for the allocation of sufficient funds to the health sector. The free healthcare system promised during the elections should be properly implemented. It is time they facilitated projects effectively in the health sector. They should equip our hospitals, starting from the community health care centres in various wards and local governments down to the national and teaching hospitals. This applies to other sectors, be it the education sector, economic sector, and others.
Finally, by putting all these in place gradually the country would develop, and this to a large extent would pave way for growth and development.
Abdulkadir is with the Nigerian Tribune.
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