Absence of proper diagnosis hampers healthcare delivery — Experts

Medical experts have identified absence of proper diagnosis as a major challenge to healthcare delivery in Nigeria. The development, they said, has sent many patients to early graves as they were either misdiagnosed or could not get access to any form of diagnosis. A consultant pathologist and Chief Medical Officer of MeCure Diagnostics, Dr. Ajie […]

Medical experts have identified absence of proper diagnosis as a major challenge to healthcare delivery in Nigeria. The development, they said, has sent many patients to early graves as they were either misdiagnosed or could not get access to any form of diagnosis.

A consultant pathologist and Chief Medical Officer of MeCure Diagnostics, Dr. Ajie Obiefuna, and Dr. Alabi Adegboyega, the Chief Operating Officer of MeCure Eye Centre, spoke with Daily Trust on the sidelines of the press briefing to mark the 10-year anniversary of MeCure Healthcare Limited.

According to them, with proper diagnostic facilities available in the country, many Nigerians suffering from one disease or the other would have access to proper care.

MeCure started as a diagnostic centre in May, 2009, and four years after, the organisation started the eye centre for the treatment of all forms of eye diseases.

Currently, the centre is conducting a free glaucoma screening which it started in February to mark the World Glaucoma Week in the second week of March. But the free screening was extended for one week to mark MeCure’s 10th anniversary.

Dr. Obiefuna said MeCure had launched a mobile application called “MeCure Smart Buy” for people to call and interface with doctors for free.

The mobile application, he said, was developed to deepen the use of technology in healthcare delivery.

According to him, one of the major gains of MeCure in the last 10 years was the use of IT in diagnosis, adding that MeCure had in the last 10 years bridged the diagnostic gap in healthcare delivery in Nigeria.

On his part, Dr. Adegboyega said MeCure had a complete vision from day one to have a diagnostic centre, ophthalmology and pharmacy under one roof where patients from across the country accessed treatment for all kinds of diseases, especially cancer.

He tasked government to provide the enabling environment for healthcare facilities to thrive and deliver cheap services to Nigerians.