It is important for doctors and
most other professionals to have a directory of specialists they can call for
help. You need the numbers and contact details of some people on speed dial.
Just in case.
Some of my patients had been to
several hospitals before finding their way to me. Some have been to as many as
5 different hospitals looking for an orthopaedic surgeon, brain surgeon or
urologist or any number of specialists. Meantime, many have become permanently
injured or died as a result of this merry go round. Do you need examples?
Take my own personal example. My
mother died several years ago. Shortly before she died, we realised she needed
kidney dialysis. So we started asking around. And driving from one hospital to
another for information on where dialysis and a specialist could be found.
Alas, by the time we eventually discovered a place somewhere in Ikeja, Lagos,
she had given up the ghost. Now, that was over 15 years ago. Sadly, not much
has changed in the last 15 years, except of course you consider the
deterioration, change.
A doctor died recently and he may
have been helped if the right person and the equipment were at hand to save
him. Apparently, he had been coughing up blood. He needed a specialist to look
down his lungs to see what was bleeding and perhaps sort it out. Sadly, since
help was not forthcoming, he died, drowning in his own blood. Other doctors
have died in similar circumstances simply because they and their colleagues
have no clue as to where help can be found. Even within their hospitals!
Many doctors and healthcare
practitioners remain so myopic that they see no further than their flat noses. Some
do not know about the services and specialists around them who may be able to
get them out of a jam. Few doctors can list the names and telephone numbers of
10 specialists in 10 different fields. The implication is obvious. If the
people, who are supposed to know, do not know, how will the poor patient and
their relatives fare? Yet, the problems we face are sometimes too close and
personal. The recent deaths should emphasise that we are mortal and destined to
suffer the same as the patients we treat and oh, so mistreat. It could be you
and you may not be able to get a visa to ‘Sokoto’ in the time it takes to die.
We need to know
I attended a meeting of
radiologists in the recent past. They were giving lectures on breast cancer and
uterine fibroids. Unfortunately, the lecturers, seasoned radiologists, were
poor in the content of their delivery. They were busy quoting the literature
and old textbooks that the audience could be forgiven for thinking they were
back in the university. What we needed was: what is the condition, how is it
managed, can you manage it, where are you based and how many have you treated.
Following that, what are your results and outcomes so that we can send patients
to you? We need to promote what can be done and what is being done in Nigeria
so patients know where to go for succour. Too many people are being killed by
ignorance and charlatans for us not to care.
Be selfish
Being informed and knowing what
is available locally is vitally important. We have to become obsessive and
completely selfish in our approach to gaining information and knowledge.
Information is power and critical health information can save lives and money.
Know what is happening around you, who is new in town and what skills they
possess. Also, what new services are now available in your local area? Try and
see further than your nose: just in case.
Healthcare Directory
The solution to all this is
pretty simple. What is needed is a healthcare directory with information as to
who and what is where. Who are the specialists, specialist hospitals and
specialist equipment and services in each local area? You need to know who is
available and close by to help. We need to know what is available and
achievable in Nigeria. Nigerians need information to help reduce the carnage in
the health industry.
The Ministry of Health Initiative
The MOH initiated the process of collecting information about skills and
services in Nigerian hospitals recently. This long term project hopefully will
bear fruit in promoting and educating Nigeria. The beauty of the initiative
however lies in the number of deaths and disability it will potentially
prevent. It should be actively supported by all hospitals.
The Abuja Healthcare Directory
The Abuja Healthcare Directory was
created in 2011 and is updated yearly. It contains the names of many of the
hospitals in Abuja. It also contains the names and telephone numbers of a few
specialists and specialist services in the FCT. The directory is a small
contribution in improving access to vital healthcare information. It provides
easy access to specialist services and hospitals. Patients and their relatives
can now go directly to the hospital where the needed services can be
provided without having to waste time going around in a circle. The Nigerian Healthcare Journal is an
online portal that carries the directory and so information can be accessed via
laptops, mobile phones and the like. It is also available in hard copies.
Other websites exist and more local
directories need to be developed. It is our collective responsibility as
doctors and healthcare practitioners to participate actively in these
endeavours of both the government and private parties. The Nigeria Medical
Association, Guild of Medical Directors and the Association of General Private
Medical Practitioners of Nigeria must all take a lead in supporting and
promoting these ideas.
Because we simply need to know!
