By Helen Ovbiagele Woman Editor
Nigeria is one of the countries in the world where maternal and infant mortality are quite high. You don’t need the wisdom of Solomon to attribute this sad state of affairs to the zero healthcare provision that has been our lot in this country for so long.

We have medical personnel in abundance and every year, the over 20 medical schools that we have in the country, produce more. So, a dearth of medical doctors is not really a problem here, and if every medical graduate were given employment, we won’t have long queues of patients waiting to see the doctor.

A lack of good salary structure and remunerations have driven some of our top doctors out to western countries and Saudi Arabia, V/here the practice of Medicine is a joy, as you have all the modem equipments and facilities to carry out your work meaningfully. The pay is better too.

It’s sad that government is not able to employ every medical graduate, and every year, those in government service are forced to go on strike because the government has failed to keep its promise to improve their working conditions, pay, and remunerations.

Frustrated, some go to set up their own practice. Some have the wherewithal to set up a good practice, providing adequate health services to members of the public, but there are many who have just the barest facilities. Needless to say that the latter would have to devise clever means of staying in business since they can’t attract patients with big money.

A friend said that it’s this category of doctors who diagnose ‘alarming’ illnesses when all you have is probably a bad cold. What’s more, they give the ailment a big name that would frighten the sufferer.

“Helen, haven’t you noticed these days that very few private doctors diagnose just malaria? They must add Typhoid to it so that they can extract more money from the patient. They would charge heavily for the treatment, which wouldn’t cost more than two thousand naira if you treated it yourself. It’s unfortunate but what can one do? We’re supposed to believe whatever the medical personnel says. They’re the experts, aren’t they?”

They are, but then the government should ensure that all private providers of health care, render adequate services to ourcitizens. Instead of a private hospital on almost every street in major cities in the country, several doctors can team up to establish a practice that is strong in health care provision.

Our readers had plenty to say on the inadequacies in our healthcare system.

‘Madam, the monies meant to provide adequate and affordable healthcare delivery system and for other critical sectors of our country, are always being misappropriated by those in the corridors of power.

The result is that we are in such a mess, that our oppressors are afraid to go for treatment in our ill-equipped and under-funded government-owned hospitals that also suffer from brain-drain; but instead rush to countries that judiciously used their resources to equip their hospitals with the most modem state-of-the-art medical gadgets. These are manned by well-paid and well-motivated medical staff.

Those in power go for medical check-up and for the treatment of even common ailments at our expense. Shame on them that, due to their greed and lack of patriotism, they cannot equip our hospitals like the ones they unabashedly rush to for treatment, thereby abandoning us to make do with the kind of hospitals that dot our landscape! – Ifeka Okonkwo’

‘Ms Helen, haven’t you heard stories of patients in our private hospitals absconding from their sick beds because they know they will not be able to pay the high bills? The mushroom hospitals  which have sprung up all over the place for many years now, seize personal items like, clothes, shoes, etc. from patients who are unable to pay the full deposit on arrival, so that they wouldn’t run away without paying the bills.

This seemed funny to me when I was first told, but as I grew older, it made me angry that our government should subject us to such a thing. What I mean is that if the government is alive to its responsibilities, we would head for government hospitals where we have a right to be treated, instead of having to make do with a private hospital which is business to the owner. Even with the crude practice of seizing clothes, patients who can’t pay still find a way of escaping from the hospital without their clothes.’

Helen, recommending caesarian operation at random for pregnant women has become very common in our society. I refuse to believe that it is because so many women are unable to have natural delivery. I visited a cousin who had just had a baby in a private hospital and I was alarmed to find that all the four of them in the ward had their babies by CS.

Like that mechanic’s wife, my cousin had had several kids through natural childbirth, and she had a normal pregnancy. I was told that operation fetches the hospital more money. I sincerely hope this isn’t the case. Once operated upon, one is no longer complete. I think hospitals should exercise caution in recommending the CS for child delivery. Thanks. – Mary, Lagos.’

‘Madam, establishing a hospital is a business venture. The owner has overheads and he wants to make profit, so, he would have to devise means of charging the patient more. I’m not saying patients should be operated upon anyhow, but if it will bring the desired result, then the doctor should go ahead, especially if the patient can pay. – Ephraim, Warri.’

‘Childbirth is not easy and safe for many women, and that’s why the CS can be recommended.

Not every passage is wide enough for the woman to deliver naturally, and also, some women become very weak during labour. It would be foolish of any doctor to insist on natural delivery when it’s clear that the woman doesn’t have enough strength to push. In many instances, it’s detected during ante-natal consultations whether the birth can be natural or not.

It isn’t a decision that a nurse can make on her own, just like that. That mechanic’s wife may have been
told earlier that she would have the baby by CS, and she was too scared to tell her husband  because of the fee, which she knew they can’t afford. However, let’s thank God that a maternity nurse was able to help her deliver naturally. My point is that people shouldn’t regard every .. recommended CS with suspicion and opt not to have it.

It may well be what will save the  lives of mother and baby.

‘Madam, until our citizens know their right to good healthcare by the government, they will continue to be exploited by private hospitals. Elections are round the corner. This is the time for us all to prepare to confront those rascally politicians who make promises which they never keep when elected.

Every politician standing for election should tell us what they’re going to do about the dismal health system that persists in the country. If they’re elected and they don’t keep; their promise, we have the right to recall them. We shouldn’t allow these deceitful fellows to

keep on cheating us. Thanks. Vicky, Abonema.’