Ear treatment saga: That politicians, public office holders should ‘walk the talk’

The fact that President Buhari is a mortal, subject to failings of the human flesh due to ill health, is not in doubt; everyone else, without exception caves in to these frailties.

However, whatever political credit and goodwill that would have accrued, if the President had taken the option to get treated at home is arguably lost, when the ‘Change mantra’ of the present dispensation is put on the table

A former president, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and Vice President, Commonwealth Medical Association, Dr. Osahon Enabulele, while decrying the 2013 capital outflow of about N1bn on account of ‘frivolous foreign medical trips,’ said government is not walking the talk.

Enabulele said government recently resolved to stop this kind of expenditure, especially for public servants and politicians, noting that in the eyes of the public, ‘it had looked inspirational and monumental.’ However, recent events have sent a wrong signal, where there would have been credit.

In the ensuing controversy, this has generated a lot of discourse in public domain and in a radio chat, mid-week, monitored by The Guardian, NMA President, Prof. Mike Ogirima was won’t to restate the position of the association as far as development of the sector is concerned.

Ogirima said the responsibility of the NMA, just like any other professional body, is that of advocacy for good governance and implementation of government policy as it relates to health issues.

The Association, he said, continues to monitor and evaluate these programmes and how they impact the lives of people. For Medical Tourism to India, Dubai and other foreign countries, it remains a drain on the nation’s scarce foreign resources, he asserted.

Challenge Of Medical Tourism
Ogirima said medical tourism and the amount spent is worrisome, especially the negative effect on the economy. He pointed out that capital outflow to settle medical bills abroad due to this kind of tourism is not something medical professionals are cheerful about.

He said medical institutions are supposed to be well equipped to handle sophisticated issues associated with health. As matter of fact, the NMA president revealed that the country is not lacking in qualified medical manpower in various fields of medicine.

For instance, there is the National Ear Care Centre located in Kaduna, where top-notch Nigerian Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) practitioners and specialists are staffers in that facility of excellence. It is reputed to handle all cases in that medical line.

What is generally distilled from the pulse of ENT professionals is that of discontent of not being allowed to prove their mettle in dealing with President’s ear infection.

These medics would have desired a situation to convoke the meeting, under the charge of the President’s medical team, of Nigerian Otolaryngologists (ENT specialists) to Abuja to make a full assessment of the President’s condition.

This is to determine the appropriate line of action to bring remedy and succor to him. Leaders of the profession strongly believe that there are adequate resources, at least, in terms of manpower, to address the matter. Even if they are not able to handle it, which they doubt very much, there are Nigerian ENT experts in different parts of the world, who could be flown in to do what should done for the benefit of the President, the lifting of the confidence of Nigerians in their own doctors and putting increased belief in the Change Agenda of the APC government.

Both Ogirima and Enabulele agree that, in the event there was need to get some equipment into the country for the job, it would have given the Federal Government the opportunity to order state-of-the-art equipment for practicing ENT medics to ply their trade.

This would bring about the re-equipping of Nigerian hospitals and serve the medical needs of the masses after sorting out the President’s case.

Worried about the numerous trips to India, in particular, by Nigerians for medical attention, Ogirima said it would be necessary to find out what that country is doing that Nigeria is not. He said, “Almost 100 per cent of patients that go to India from Nigeria patronise private health institutions there. The private sector dominates, though there is government presence.”

In this regard, he said the association has been pushing for strong Public-Private-Partnership (PPP), which he says is the solution. He admitted that, initially, it might appear to put so much burden on patients, but added that, with time, the fees/cost will come down to the level that would be more affordable. He likened it to the Telecoms industry, where the initial charges were so high, but they are now much lower.

The sore point of the entire saga is that, in spite of the few world-class medical institutions in the country, most of the patients still head abroad. It has been established that in some cases, they end up being managed by Nigerian specialist doctors working in those countries.

On this, Ogirima lamented the attitude of Nigerians having preference for foreign goods and services, even when it is obvious there are better locally qualified people and options. He thinks the psychology and attitude of Nigerians should be worked on for national good.

AT the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), ENT Surgeon, Dr. Derek Olagbemi, said the teaching hospital is sometimes overwhelmed by so many patients, in spite of running so many days of clinic.

“The number of patients that need treatment is higher than doctors on ground.  In most cases, we have been able to solve the problems of patients, still the situation is not ideal,” Olagbemi said.

“In terms of equipment and manpower, we are beginning to manage the little we have because our primary objective is to ensure that every patient that comes down here gets relief and in large extent, we have been doing that.”

However, whether the action of the President confers confidence or not, on the medical professionals, Ogirima said there is always room for referrals, either up line or down line. This becomes more relevant, if there were initial inputs from the President’s personal physician, alongside an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) surgeon.

Apparently, this did not happen as the NMA president said he has not got any word from President Buhari’s physician as to why the step was taken to take the President’s matter abroad or any other cogent professional reason(s).

In the radio chat, the NMA helmsman said the association would like to engage the President in a chat, when he returns as to why the step, in light of the economic challenges facing the nation.