The reported spike in medical malpractices and negligence that is negatively impacting the health and well-being of Nigerians is not surprising given the array of woes that regularly afflict this vital sector. It is clear that Nigeria’s stifling healthcare system is on the brink of collapse. Apart from the medical brain drain caused by the incessant exodus of highly qualified doctors from Nigeria on an almost daily basis, the rapid rise in medical errors is due to inadequate training of health workers, understaffing and poor quality across 36 states. This is further exacerbated by poor hospital infrastructure. Public trust in the country’s medical sector is further eroded.
Recent reports show that Lagos, Kano, Rivers, Kaduna and Oyo states have the highest rates of medical negligence. In Lagos, overcrowding and lack of equipment contribute to medical errors. Kano and Rivers face problems of inadequate training and lack of resources, while Kaduna suffers from misdiagnosis and incorrect treatment of patients. Hospital facilities, infrastructure and staffing in Oyo State are inadequate. The tragic consequences of these medical errors are serious and far-reaching. Beyond patient mortality, it causes irreversible harm, including anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder for family members, permanent disability, and decreased quality of life. The economic burden of medical errors is significant, with estimates estimating that preventable errors cost the health care system billions of dollars annually.
The pitiful aspect of this situation is that doctors who engage in negligence or malpractice are rarely prosecuted, much less punished as a deterrent to doctors who make other mistakes. The truth is that this country operates with a system that does not serve as a safe haven for negligent health care workers. Nigerians are living in difficult times, made worse by the lack of purposeful leadership. Gone is Nigeria’s image as a beacon of humanitarianism and moral renaissance. The value of human life has decreased. The death of a fellow human being no longer frightens us. Doctors often fall victim to overwork and fatigue, while medicine has become a profit-driven business. Contrary to the Hippocratic Oath, the motivation of many Nigerian doctors is no longer to save lives but to maximize profits.
For example, Nigeria has the second highest maternal mortality rate in the world. It also ranks third in the world for infant mortality, surpassing India as the country with the highest number of deaths among children under the age of five. In 2018, Nigeria was ranked as one of the most dangerous places in the world for women to give birth. In the same year, Nigeria was also ranked as one of the countries most affected by malaria and had the highest number of malnourished children in the world. It also ranked first for the number of people lacking access to basic primary health care.
Sudden death is now an epidemic across Nigeria, with life expectancy drastically reduced to 35 years. Nigerians continue to die from preventable diseases. Most public hospitals suffer from severe shortages of medical equipment, doctors, and human resources. This explains why primary health care systems to prevent diseases such as polio, cholera and measles are virtually non-existent in many parts of Nigeria.
To mitigate the above tragic consequences, governments at all levels should declare a state of emergency in the health sector in Nigeria. The system must prioritize patient safety, invest in quality improvement initiatives, and foster a culture of transparency and accountability. The first core of our strategy to improve the well-being of the average Nigerian is to provide our people with unhindered access to a functioning primary health care system. By addressing the root causes of medical errors and implementing effective solutions, Nigeria can ensure safer healthcare for its citizens. Urgent action is needed to stem the tide of medical negligence and restore trust in the healthcare system.
The Federal Ministry of Health in Abuja and most states are in dire need of reform. We need a properly focused Ministry of Health that is dedicated to addressing the real health issues that affect Nigerians, not those that undermine the country’s human capital.
Access to affordable health care is a constitutional right, not a privilege. Under Article 17 of the 1999 Constitution, the government has a duty to improve the welfare of Nigerians by ensuring that they have access to adequate medical and health facilities. Fulfilling this obligation will save billions of naira wasted on medical tourism every year. Primary health care and outpatient services in Nigeria should be decentralized to reach suffering and dying women and children in communities in all states, local governments, villages and wards in Nigeria.
Additionally, essential medicines are no longer available or affordable for Nigerians suffering from diabetes, kidney failure, prostate cancer, anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, high blood pressure and other diseases. Does President Tinubu know that Nigeria agreed in 2013 to abide by the ECOWAS Commission’s recommendation that drug imports in the African subregion should be subject to zero percent tariffs? Is he aware that neighboring African countries operate under zero tax regimes and lower port charges on drug imports in their respective countries? If 80% of medicines consumed in Nigeria are imported, there is no need to impose heavy duties on imports of medicines.
Our teaching hospitals need to be re-equipped. A comprehensive health insurance system should be launched and implemented in all states of the Federation. Doctors and nurses must change their hostile attitudes toward patients. Doctors, nurses, and health care workers who make mistakes must be brought to justice, regardless of whose cow was stabbed.
Physicians are obligated to always save lives according to the Hippocratic Oath they take upon joining the company. A few years ago, about 800 Canadian doctors working in Quebec staged a protest against pay increases. The doctors who staged the protest argued that they could not in good conscience accept a salary increase at a time when patients were “living without the services they need due to drastic cuts in recent years.” . This was a remarkable demonstration of the altruism and humanitarianism that Nigerian doctors and nurses should possess.
Nevertheless, governments at all levels should pay commensurate salaries and benefits to doctors, nurses, and other health workers working in the country. While most public hospitals in Nigeria are suffering from a shortage of doctors, nurses and other health workers, many of Nigeria’s best doctors, nurses and medical professionals are excelling in various medical fields abroad. It’s no wonder that it’s contained.
