Time to address our dismal healthcare system
Is our healthcare system improving, drifting or static? The answer determines our collective health status as individuals that make up a society. Do we as individuals and/or patients take active part/responsibility of our health and of our loved ones? It is apparent that we rely too much on our doctors to cure or treat us […]
Is our healthcare system improving, drifting or static? The answer determines our collective health status as individuals that make up a society. Do we as individuals and/or patients take active part/responsibility of our health and of our loved ones? It is apparent that we rely too much on our doctors to cure or treat us when we should be more deeply involved, especially with the enormous and appalling negligence and negative attitude characterised by most of the practitioners, coupled with profound artificial ignorance due to lack of research and good clinical skills.
It is often erroneously considered that lack of equipment/facilities contribute to the sorry state we are in when the bulk of the problem lies in poor orientation and intellectual laziness manifested by poor dismal skills that entail sound communication and examination of patients and consequently arriving at good judgement that’ll lead to positive outcomes even in debilitating cases. I recall vividly an article posted by a concerned citizen in one of the national dailies with respect to one of the Teaching hospitals where he remarked that our hospitals have become killing grounds where people go to die rather than recover from illnesses in mysterious circumstances.
Too many people die in this country daily with thousands more suffering unnecessarily as a result of misdiagnosis or under-diagnosis. It’s unfortunate how our health workers consistently clamour for pay rise with the aim of trying to bracket their contemporaries (?) in the developed world without commensurate service characterised by hollow quality deal. It’s glaring that they do not exhibit the mind and spirit of critical thinking and problem-solving skills. It so seems that the more they get, the more absenteeism, misconduct and negative attitude they exhibit, yet the desired standard isn’t there even in the majority private practices we have – they only care for the money.
The most disturbing part is the transmission of the hollow knowledge to medical students thereby making it a tradition in this country to be ever unhealthy and unproductive thereto. A medical certificate and licence is not enough. Our situation is simply self-inflicted — no checks and balances! Our ranking in the WHO/UNDP survey says/proves it all. So many people have been victimised by not knowing the status of their health until things have gone bad and in some cases cancerous with little or no hope. The list is endless.
It’s unfortunate that even the President has been led in the wrong direction for long as verified by recurring episodes of his condition. With adequate understanding of his predicament, the desired results will be attained. I recall several months back when he had an episode and his physicians tried to subside it but couldn’t. They then referred him to the National Hospital with negative outcome too and onto Julius Berger Hospital, and at the end, he had to be flown to Germany!
Many months have passed since and yet there’s no sign of progress. If his physicians cannot get it right, they certainly can’t make the best referrals to competent physicians that can handle his case even if they send him to space. The alarming state of mental health problems is also baffling – and that’s why behavioural maladies abound. People can’t reason well and our physicians, including the mental health workers/therapist. It happens that the therapists actually need therapy themselves. If you are in doubt, check out the comprehensive meaning of health — mental health, mad respectively in your dictionary, encyclopaedia or the W.H.O. website for basic info. If you look around, there’s too much “free” comedy shows from offices to markets, banks etc. Comedy that is also national tragedy! Without good mental health, clear thinking is simply limited.
So, the bottom line is that our healthcare system needs immediate rebranding and the practitioners reoriented to ensure good conduct on the one hand and for individuals to take a chunk of responsibility of their wellbeing on the other. Patients and their loved ones ought to learn about their conditions with firsthand knowledge as well as first, second or even third opinions rather than be slaves at the mercy of professionals.
Awareness is it! It’s germane to note as the DNA theory suggests that every individual is different, meaning that our body chemistry differs hence everyone needs to be handled on an individual basis. In other words, treating the individual suffering from a disorder rather than treating the illness. An appropriate approach is of fundamental importance. An appropriate treatment reveals itself almost instantaneously with progressive improvement of symptoms proving the right path has been traversed.
We all need to be active – ours is a sorry state, but there’s hope for everyone from infertility to cushion’s disease. I’ve personally witnessed tears of joy after achieving great results from previously hopeless cases of bedridden patients who had lost hope after wandering about until the appropriate therapy/diagnosis was reached via looking out, searching by themselves…It’s all about the right approach, responsibility, plain common sense, understanding and application of knowledge. An excellent reading habit is vital as a prerequisite as well as sophisticated thinking and analytic skills.
As the famous Greek philosopher, Socrates, posited, “There is only one good – knowledge, and one evil – ignorance”. There are so many considerations to look out for as many ailments mimic each other and a solution can be found if sought, squarely especially in medicine where astonishing vital information, decades old or recent and if applied intelligently leads to dramatic turning points and elating success! Overemphasised points? Where thou art standeth? Enough of the complacency and quack mania. Take charge of your life/health and of your loved ones’. Good luck and God bless.
Yakubu can be reached at [email protected].