We are at an interesting point in human history where it's common and somewhat considered trivial to have a headache, abdominal pain or most of the illnesses that are out there. This isn't to say that any of those illnesses are trivial in its real sense. It just feels that way because the quality of healthcare has improved massively.
People get opened up almost every day in hospitals. Something like C-section isn't the most ideal route to take during childbirth, but it's also not considered a death sentence. The reason for that is that we know that healthcare has improved massively and a lot of Ob-gyn doctors have taken that route on several occasions. So, we know the success rate it has.
Thanks to the improved healthcare we are exposed to in this era, it almost seems like we can treat all sorts of illnesses and diseases, as long as you have the finances and also did a good research before picking a hospital to visit.
While we can generally agree that the healthcare system has generally improved all-over the years, let's take a look at how this applies to Nigeria, my Country.
Ever since I was born till this very moment, I genuinely don't have any memory of having to be hospitalized for any sort of illness. There was also a time I asked my Mum to know if there was ever a time in my babyhood when I had to be hospitalized due to illness and the answer was "NO". I guess I'm quite lucky on that front.
Nonetheless, I've been to hospitals for visitations and I have a few things I've witnessed about the quality of our healthcare system. Now, let's dig deeper;
The time our healthcare system impressed me.
Two people in my family have gone through surgery and each of those had me at the edge of my seat because I know what I've heard about surgeries and the stuff that happens there. My brother's surgery is the latest one. He had to go through ophthalmic surgery when COVID-19 was trending. At that time, I was very far from home and I was really worried about the whole thing. Thankfully, the surgery was a success.
My Mum's surgery happened earlier and I was around to see her before and after the surgery. That was in 2013 and that particular surgery took a toll on me and our entire family. Maybe it's because I was still a very young lad then and I couldn't assist in any way, especially financially. The hospital she booked the surgery in is a hospital opposite my High School and I can still remember not being able to focus during classes that were held that day. She didn't want me to miss school that day and I had no say in it.
However, immediately after school's dismissal, I raced out and went straight to her hospital room to know the outcome of the operation. Thankfully, it was a success and I appreciate the type of care she got from the doctors and Nurses.
The time I was disappointed by the practice of our healthcare practitioners.
We are still a developing country and I'm not very interested in shaming Nigeria today. So, I will broadly highlight only two scenarios that make me feel disappointed in our healthcare.
First, the whole idea of "payment before treatment", especially when you are dealing with an emergency patient who got rushed to a hospital due to an accident. I genuinely don't know the Prudential guidelines that the medical professionals work with, but I know that their main target is and should be to save lives.
I've heard stories of people whose situations turned into an unmitigated disaster because they didn't get immediate attention when they were rushed to hospitals, just because they were most likely unconscious and the hospital couldn't get in touch with a family member who would pay his/her bills before treatment. That practice has to be worked on, in my opinion.
Second, there is a sad joke in Nigeria about surgeons who are so careless to the point of forgetting a tool inside someone after operating on the person. Imagine getting operated on and getting stitched up only to get teared up again because someone carelessly forgot a surgical tool in your body. Wow! That's not even funny.
I've also heard of situations where patients get an incorrect diagnosis, prescription or test result from hospitals. It's like going to 3 different hospitals for something as simple as a blood test and the result you are getting from each of them is different from the other. That's not a good look at the credibility and competence of our healthcare practitioners.
In summary, we've improved a lot, but I will always remember the words of my friend who's a practising physiotherapist in Nigeria. According to him, it's better to not get sick if you are in Nigeria because you are never sure of what you will meet in a hospital.
So, let's all stay healthy, folks.
Thanks For Not Missing Any Full-stop Or Comma.
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