20,000 fresh spine surgeons needed as brain drain weakens sector

The Nigerian Spine Society (NSS) has submitted that brain drain is affecting spine care in the country, adding that no fewer than 20,000 fresh surgeons are needed to cater for the population.

Besides, between 10 and 15 million Nigerians currently need care now and in the next couple of years.

President of the society, Dr. Omotayo Ojo, who made the submission at a cocktail, organised by the Alliance Hospital, Abuja ahead of the body’s yearly conference with the theme, “Advancing spine care in Nigeria,” observed that the number of spine surgeons in the country “is grossly inadequate to cater for over 200 million population.”

He recalled that some years back, Nigerians that desired to have spine care either travelled to Abuja, Lagos or Kano for surgeries due to dearth of specialists and treatment centres.

But the situation, Ojo added, has changed in the last three years, as surgeries are now performed in different parts of the country.

His words: “Ten to 15 years ago, whoever needed spine care had to go to Abuja, Lagos and Kano, but now, you can get care in every state of the country, because many are training in the field. You don’t have to wait or go abroad to receive care. We are very grateful for the support the industry has received in the past few years to be able to provide implants and excellent spine care to Nigerians. We have many people who are dedicated to ensuring that spine care in Nigeria gets to the best level that it ought to be.”

Ojo, who is also a consultant neurosurgeon and Head of Neurosurgery at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, said spine care constitutes about 50 per cent of the cases a neurosurgeon addresses daily, adding that the cost of accessing care is far beyond the reach of many Nigerians.
He, therefore, stressed the need to include spine care in the nation’s health insurance programme to alleviate the plight of many patients.

Also speaking, Chief Consultant Orthopaedics Surgeon and Medical Director of Alliance Hospital, Dr. Christopher Otabor, explained that as people grow old, they have one or two problems with their spine, noting that surgery accounts mostly for medical tourism.
On the warning signs, he stated that spine problems start with waist pain.

“It usually starts in the manner in which someone is trying to lift a heavy load, and hears a sound at the back. If not well-managed at that point, it can travel to the legs and even result in neck pain and numbness of the hands. These are types of spine conditions,” he clarified.