Health Sector: Examining The Medical Personnel
Leonardo da Vinci, an Italian polymath, was one of the initial figures to conceive the notion of a flying apparatus through his "flying machine" design. Although this early concept didn’t function as intended, it marked the start of modern aviation. Another invention by him eventually evolved into today’s widely used helicopters. Before Leonardo da Vinci’s groundbreaking designs and the historic flight achieved by the Wright brothers—Orville and Wilbur—on December 17, 1903, numerous individuals had attempted various unsuccessful endeavors to create functional airborne vehicles.
As humanity has extended its reach into the sky, numerous air crashes and accidents have taken place and will likely persist. Indeed, one of the worst disasters in aviation history happened on March 27, 1977, when a KLM Boeing 747 trying to take off crashed into another taxiing Pan Am Boeing 747 at Los Rodeos Airport on Tenerife’s Canary Islands, resulting in a tragic loss of 538 lives aboard both planes.
In airplane crashes and incidents, pilot error reportedly makes up 53 percent of cases, whereas mechanical failures and adverse weather conditions contribute to 21 percent and 11 percent each, respectively.
Similar to how aviation remains one of the safest modes of travel despite occasional incidents, the Nigerian healthcare system also faces significant challenges. Doctor errors have resulted in numerous deaths and cases of permanent disability among Nigerians.
On New Year’s Eve, December 31, 1983, the military regime under Major-General Muhammadu Buhari ousted President Shehu Shagari’s civilian administration at Dodan Barracks in Obalende, Lagos. In his inaugural address as head of state, Buhari criticized the "incompetent" Shagari government for transforming public hospitals into little more than outpatient facilities. Regrettably, over four decades later, these medical centers—whether publicly or privately run—are not just minor clinics anymore; they have become places akin to abattoirs with numerous physicians functioning almost as executioners. These healthcare providers often resort to hit-or-miss methods much like auto repair technicians diagnosing car troubles through guesswork rather than precision diagnostics.
From instances of infant switching at numerous healthcare facilities—both public and private—to cases of blatant abduction, inexplicable vanishings, incorrect diagnoses, as well as the mutilation of patients with subsequent theft or removal of organs such as kidneys, intestines, and others, some Nigerian doctors have become akin to Riva de Biasio—a twisted, grotesque, and notorious serial killer from Venice, California, USA. This individual was known for brutally murdering and disfiguring young girls and boys in open spaces, an account vividly documented in the renowned book "The Butcher of Venice" authored by Irmgard Rawn.
Some of these individuals, along with their caregivers, have such poor attitudes that you might end up regretting seeking treatment from them.
Even though we were in this dire situation, many of our physicians remain exceptionally skilled, thorough, and remarkably adept at performing their responsibilities.
The gross ineptitude and deceit exhibited by culpable medical professionals within Nigeria’s healthcare system didn’t begin recently. Approximately three decades back, a close friend who worked as a seasoned photojournalist for one of the newspapers shared with me how his spouse firmly believed their infant had been switched post-delivery at the Lagos Island Maternity Hospital. She claimed she remembered giving birth to a daughter yet woke up to find herself holding a son. This sort of unethical behavior persists unchecked across numerous facilities in our nation. It comes as little surprise then that we’ve witnessed a significant rise in paternity disputes throughout the country.
Additionally, numerous medical professionals here frequently make errors in diagnosis, sometimes up to five or six times. To illustrate this point: the esteemed Lagos lawyer and human rights advocate, Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN), passed away on September 5, 2009, following an extended struggle with lung cancer. Initially, he was wrongly told he just had a persistent sore throat and cough in Nigeria; however, upon being properly identified as having lung cancer overseas, it was tragically discovered that the disease had advanced extensively throughout his body at that stage. It’s unfortunate how countless similar instances occur every day across the nation without ever seeing public disclosure.
A significant number of Nigerian citizens have lost their lives, and continue to do so, while undergoing surgical procedures in medical facilities across the country. According to reports, May Ellen Mofe-Damijo (MEE), who worked as both a journalist and the publisher of Classique magazine, tragically passed away due to complications during what should have been routine uterine fibroid removal surgery at Providence Hospital in Surulere, Lagos, back on March 23, 1996; she was only 30 years old. Additionally, Wale Aboderin, known for his role as the chairman of Punch Newspapers Limited, supposedly met with fatal outcomes when he underwent cardiac treatment at the First Cardiology Consultants hospital located in Ikoyi, Lagos, on May 30, 2018. More recently, Waheed Ayilara—who held the position of Police Commissioner within Akwa Ibom State—also succumbed unexpectedly whilst receiving prostate-related care at LASUTH (Lagos State University Teaching Hospital).
However, due to divine intervention, Yusuf Olaniyonu, a journalist and formerly the Ogun State Commissioner for Information, nearly passed away following multiple surgeries for prostate issues at the National Hospital in Abuja. After being abandoned in one of the ward rooms with little hope, he was eventually rescued when taken to a facility in Cairo, Egypt. How many Nigerians can claim such fortune? The situation became dire for a young 13-year-old named Akin Bright, whose medical records indicated his lower intestine went missing during transfers between a private clinic called Obitoks and LASUTH. Sadly, he succumbed to complications on September 19, 2023.
As I pen this down, my heart is heavy with grief since one of my wife’s nieces, an orphan all alone, lies still in a morgue in Imo State. Two hospitals were unable to save either her life or that of her newborn during and post delivery. The loss of both the child and the mother is overwhelmingly painful for us all. It seems endless when we consider how many similar heartbreaking stories unfold within our medical facilities against the backdrop of our powerlessness and despair.
To avoid unnecessary medical travel and address this issue effectively, federal and state governments ought to upgrade all university teaching hospitals so they can handle modern challenges and align with advanced healthcare technologies found in developed nations. The era when members of the Saudi royal family frequently sought treatment at our own University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan—a facility that has since fallen from grace due to issues such as power bill debts—should not return. These institutions must improve promptly rather than reverting to past conditions where they struggled with basic amenities like consistent electricity supply.
Additionally, both the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) and the country’s universities should reassess medical school curriculums since certain training methodologies used to educate physicians do not align with contemporary practices.
Each time an instance of neglect surfaces involving a physician or healthcare provider, both the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) and related oversight organizations are obligated to look into these cases thoroughly. If guilt is established, disciplinary action should be taken against the offending professional. The lackadaisical approach adopted by entities like the MDCN has contributed significantly to family members resorting to violence—physically attacking doctors and nurses out of frustration over perceived negligent deaths of their kin. As a collective society, it’s crucial for us to restore our failing healthcare system so as to safeguard everyone’s well-being.
*Omolale, a reporter, submitted this article through somolale@gmail.com
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