Expert Identifies Pitfall In Primary Health Care

The Consultant, Primary Health Care/Family Physician, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), Dr. Seiyefa Brisibe has identified misdirected care of patients as one of the problems why Primary Health Care System fails in Nigeria.
Dr Brisibe disclosed this while making a presentation titled “Primary Health Care, needed now more than ever” during the 2009 physician week in Port Harcourt, recently.
According to him, failure of PHC could also arise as a result of capacity to meet the needs of people especially the poor and marginalised groups in the society “PHC should provide a hub from which patients are guided through the health system, adding that it requires team of health professionals with specific and sophiscated biomedical and social skills.
He further stated that PHC also requires adequate resources and investment and should provide value for money than its alternative.
Also speaking, Dr. N. A. Jebbin, Senior Lecturer, Health Department and Emergency Unit, UPTH, said, “for us to save lives, we have to make hospitals safe in emergencies”.
He pointed out that in every 10 minutes a Nigerian Woman dies in childbirth and countless others have long time disabilities due to unsafe care.
“Doctor to patient ratio in Nigeria is 1:4000 while in Europe, it is 1:400 and one Teaching Hospital Caters for 5 million Nigerian adding that trauma is a leading cause of death in individuals between 4 to 40 years.
Dr Jebbin stated that by 2020, injuries from road traffic crashes alone will be the 6th lading cause of death world wide.
He further noted that to make a hospital safe in emergency, there must be an effective, efficient, readilily available and accessible health service system in all hospitals in Nigeria.