Lessons From Yemi Osinbajo’s Surgery
The Nation has details the lessons from Vice President of Nigeria, Yemi Osinbajo’s surgery.
It is good news that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo underwent surgery in Lagos on July 16, and it was successful. He was admitted to the Duchess International Hospital GRA, Ikeja, Lagos, “on account of a fracture of his right femur (thigh bone), possibly related to a longstanding injury associated with a game of squash,” said Dr Adedoyin Dosunmu-Ogunbi, the hospital’s medical director.
Significantly, the surgical operation was performed by a team of Nigerian specialist doctors. It was reported that some “government and private practice doctors” had advised him to consider having the operation abroad, but he insisted on a Nigerian hospital and Nigerian medical experts.
One of those who coordinated the operation, Dr. Yemi Onabowale, founder of the Reddington Hospital, was reported saying “The VP was clear that he had confidence in Nigerian doctors, both at home and abroad, and would prefer they handle the operation.”
It is good that Osinbajo opted for treatment in the country by local doctors. It may be seen as a statement to discourage medical tourism, particularly among people in power. But it must be noted that the hospital involved is a private hospital. It would have been a more interesting story if the operation had happened in a public hospital. Wouldn’t it?
Osinbajo’s local surgery raises questions about the country’s health sector. In Nigeria, only about four doctors are available per 10,000 people, which is a fraction of the minimum rate recommended by the United Nations (UN) for basic health coverage. The country’s doctor-patient ratio is alarmingly low, and is nowhere near the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) standard doctor-patient ratio of one doctor per 600 people.
This situation is connected with, and compounded by, the increasing exodus of Nigerian doctors to foreign lands because of poor working conditions in the country. About 2,000 doctors are said to leave Nigeria yearly; and there are currently more than 5,000 Nigeria- trained doctors registered in the UK, for instance.
In April 2001, heads of state of African Union countries met in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and pledged to set a target of allocating at least 15 percent of their annual budget to improve the health sector. It is disappointing that Nigeria has consistently failed to meet the standard of the Abuja Declaration.
The country’s 2022 budget is N17.16 trillion, and N724 billion (4.2 percent) was allocated for healthcare across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory. This picture of poor funding shows why health-sector budget improvement is a necessity.
The authorities should address the fundamental issues in the country’s health sector.
