Harsh living conditions in Nigeria have now put life expectancy at 54 years, the Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria (AGMPN) has said.
The association rated countries like Togo, Ghana and South Africa ahead of Nigeria in the expectancy.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja, yesterday, the President of the association, Dr Iyke Odo, said anyone who beats the age would have broken the jinx.
He, however, said that respite was underway if the government and all the stakeholders can come together to reinvent the healthcare sector.
Odo regretted the backwardness and infrastructural dilapidation in the country, saying that hitherto, Ghanaians, Saudi Arabians and Indians had Nigeria as their destination for healthcare deliveries.
He said, “Anywhere you go in the world, statistics, indices show that Nigeria has one of the lowest life expectancy rates. What does that mean? On the average, how long are you expected to live as a Nigerian given the life support, welfare system available, the quality of life, cost of living, given the leadership, environment and all that around an average Nigerian? You are expected to live for 54 years.
“And if you are more than 54, it means you have broken the jinx. You have defied Nigeria to survive more than it expects you to survive or live. Togo here has a higher life expectancy. Ghana has much higher life expectancy. Go down to South Africa, much higher. It is a burden to us as doctors.
“Take that away, maternal mortality rate, infant mortality rate, Nigeria has about the highest in the world. It is a scourge, a big dent on our collective psyche and pride as a nation. It means that more women in pregnancy die in Nigeria than they do in most part of the world. It also shows that more children under the age of 5 die in Nigeria than they do in most part of the world.
“Nigeria was ahead of India many years ago. Indians were coming to Nigeria for their healthcare. Saudi Arabia had Nigeria as a destination. The king of Saudi was coming to Ibadan with his family for treatment in the 70s. History is straight. Ghanaians, South Africans, Indians were coming here. So, what has happened? Like in any race, if the man in front gets tired sooner than he should or stumbles and falls, the competitors behind, naturally, will cruise past him. I think this is what has happened.
“Over N500billion is spent abroad by Nigerians who go abroad for treatment and go for treatment that should be given here. We have lost confidence and trust in our local care delivery.”
Odo also bemoaned the sorry state of healthcare system in Nigeria, saying that many Nigerian doctors were frustrated, a sad development he said, was pushing them to leave Nigeria in search of greener pastures.
He said, “Doctors are shutting down. Some are selling their clinics and leaving this country. It is a challenge we must all rise to as a nation. We do not have enough doctors. The few we have are leaving in droves.
“If you Interview 10 Nigerian doctors as we speak, 6 will tell you they are still because they have not found visa. It is a calamity indeed. It is the biggest disease we have now because, by the way we are going, soon, we may have to import doctors to treat Nigerians. Things are getting bad. We must act fast.
“Why are Nigerian doctors going abroad? Is it because there are no patients in Nigeria? No. There are too many here in Nigeria. We weep in our hearts because those of us who are remaining behind are overburdened. There is too much work to be done because we are working too hard with bare hand. Society changes every day and every generation meets its own challenges with its peculiar available means of serving them.
“Medicine today is not what it was 50 years ago. Now, you can sit in your house in Abuja and perform and operation on somebody in Lagos by robotics. Telemedicine has come to stay. Now, you can stay in your consulting room, watching the screen of your computer and see a patient 2000 miles away, take the history and examine him or her and do your prescription. The difference between the Nigerian doctor and his counterpart abroad is nothing more than technology. The Nigerian doctor is better trained because what you lack in equipment, you acquire in skill and physical competency.
“Nigerians go abroad and they rule and dominate. They are the best hands because they work with the skill, competency and technology. We know where the difference is. And that’s why we will continue to preach to the government to provide to not only provide this infrastructure but to support the private sector to transform the healthcare delivery system”.