‘Nigerians need primary healthcare centres, not helicopter’

The immediate past regional president of the World Organisation of Family Doctors (WONCA), Dr Sylvester Osinowo, advises the Lagos State government to equip primary healthcare centres (PHCs) in the state and stop spending tax payers’ money on procurement of helicopter landing platform (Helipad). Osinowo gave the advice during an interview at Ikeja, Lagos. Osinowo said […]

The immediate past regional president of the World Organisation of Family Doctors (WONCA), Dr Sylvester Osinowo, advises the Lagos State government to equip primary healthcare centres (PHCs) in the state and stop spending tax payers’ money on procurement of helicopter landing platform (Helipad).
Osinowo gave the advice during an interview at Ikeja, Lagos.
Osinowo said that 80 percent of Nigerians lacked access to good primary health centres.
He identified the basic workers in PHCs to comprise doctor, nurses, midwives, pharmacist or pharmacy assistants and a laboratory technician, adding that young doctors should be trained and employed in PHCs in the country.
He said: “PHCs should be able to take care of victims of all forms of accidents, fire outbreaks, deliveries and other basics, by first doing the necessary things and get the patient prepared for evacuation if the case is beyond them. Then, the helipad or ambulance becomes relevant for transfer to the nearest general hospital. The general hospitals would not be congested if the PHCs are functional.”
He tasked states to make their PHCs functional and equipped rather than buy medical helicopter for emergency, saying: “Helipad is a good thing, if everything works the way it ought to. To the governor who conceived this, kudos to him, but we could do better than this.”
The Lagos State government inaugurated a helipad at its teaching hospital, recently, to aid the movement of patients from remote areas, provide emergency services and facilitate evacuation of patients.