Reporting good outcomes
There have now been 3 articles published on surgical treatment for spine conditions in Nigeria. The reports are from Lagos and Abuja. And there are many more to come as surgeons embrace reporting of their management of patients with spine and spinal cord problems. Previously, almost all the articles have been on conservative or non surgical treatments and the fear of surgery in Nigeria had driven many patients to other countries.
But, with the increase in expertise and improvements in safety in surgery on the spine, more patients are being treated locally. Doctors reporting their results will also help in improving local confidence and expertise. Everybody and especially Nigerians will benefit.
Promoting quality of care in Nigeria
Many cases of effective and efficient
management of cases of spine problems abound in Nigeria. Patients do not need
to continue to troop out to other countries in search of quality of care. At
least for spine, we can now boast of the capability to manage most cases of
spine problems to very high standards in Nigeria. There are surgeons in Sokoto,
Enugu, Abuja, Lagos and Ibadan making huge strides in providing a quality care.
Some are also in our public hospitals. As usual, lack of information on what is
available locally impairs access to good care.
Spine: Plans for Abuja
You need to know
that the future is bright, for patients in Abuja with spine problems. This is
because there are trained surgeons in Abuja offering specialised spine care
with a full surgical team backup and all the necessary equipment. Neck and back
pains can be conveniently managed in Abuja and Abuja is set to be the
destination for Nigerians with spine trauma and degenerative diseases.
There are also
competent nurses and physiotherapists to manage patients following operations.
Those who cannot be operated upon or who do not need an operation can also be
helped by injections, physical therapy and advice.
Believe in Nigeria
At least in the management of bone and
spine diseases: We can treat patients
confidently.
So, now you know that spine problems
should no longer be a reason to travel out of Nigeria. We need the confidence
of the people and their trust to move us further forward. SPINE: Fixed in Abuja
ABUJA is SPINE capital of Nigeria
Information is key. People do not know about the services now available in the country. Even among healthcare providers, there is lack of useful knowledge about these services. Many patients end up suffering in silence because their HCPs are unable to refer them to able specialists because the HCPs do not know of these services. Another thing is cost. Many who need these services cannot afford them. I'm very much interested in implementing the successes of Aravind eyecare in India. They were able to subsidize cataract surgery for the poor through some innovative approaches. The rich paid normal rates and profits went to subsidizing for the poor. They also started manufacturing lenses which saved importation costs. The lenses were same in quality as imported brands, but much cheaper as materials were sourced locally. Do you think we can implement this business model in ortho-neuro care in the country?
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