I have had the opportunity to experience the life of a healthcare provider, caregiver to the sick, and also being sick in Nigeria. The summary of my experience is that quality healthcare is expensive and not affordable to the common man.
Rather than being in the clinic as expected of a regular medical doctor in Nigeria, I chose a little different path, which is the health insurance sector. Nigeria has among its 2030 Millennium Development Goals aimed at attaining universal health coverage (UHC) by 2030, which, at its pace, is very unlikely.
The average patient that gets seen by a physician, especially at government facilities, is likely reviewed in haste as the work load is often too much for the doctor. There's a chance that the patient gets treatment of less quality than necessary.
The developed countries and even a few underdeveloped nations do boast of universal health coverage. Nigeria, being the giant of Africa with a population above 200 million, has the mandate to achieve the coverage of all citizens and legal residents.
Universal health coverage entails financial access to quality healthcare. The implication is that the patient would not be burdened by the cost of healthcare and would, at the same time, have access to quality healthcare. This is approached in two phases: contribution and improving access to quality healthcare.
Even in Freetown, nothing is free. Thus, there have to be contributors. The government caters for its employees through medical allowances, while private individuals can come on board via a token of ₦45, 000 per annum. This amount can accommodate a minimum of three individuals who do not necessarily have to be biologically related. A breakdown of this would mean an individual is paying ₦15, 000; however, he cannot come in with such an amount; he would need to partner with two other people, or he can choose to pay the minimum ₦45, 000 entry fee as an individual. Accomodating the extra two people is a means of increasing the number of people who are insured health wise and also the drive to achieve universal health coverage in Nigeria.
The body responsible for accrediting facilities that can conduct health insurance coverage in Nigeria is the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA). This organization has medical professionals that inspect facilities for accreditation and re-accreditation, alongside other activities like quality assurance visits and complaint resolutions. These are means instituted to ensure the healthcare delivered to the beneficiaries is of standard quality.
These are my roles as a healthcare provider in Nigeria. I am glad to be a facilitator of quality healthcare in Nigeria, among many other healthcare professionals. The clinical practice on Nigeira is a toxic environment with grossly understaffed employees. Working in the health insurance sector relieves me of the stress of unsatisfactory healthcare delivery.
I'm currently satisfied with my job as it pertains to meeting the health needs of a large population of Nigerians, even though the remuneration does not correlate with both the work and economic reality.
Thank you for reading. I would love to have your comments and contributions.