Patients lying on naked floors receiving IV fluids, many more lying on bare ground unconscious and many others waiting for miracle interventions to survive. I asked one of the consultants around (he happened to be my secondary school classmate) who on condition of anonymity revealed to me that the situation has reached a crisis level. He attributed the lingering problem to shortage of manpower and insufficient infrastructure.
Since 2012/2013 Boko Haram attacks in kano, hundreds of non indigenous medical personnel (about 250) resigned and left Kano; they have not been replaced till today. In addition, the number of patients attending the hospital overstretch the facilities on the ground. The two major hospitals under the supervision of state Government are not faring better.
In fact, there is a growing despondency and helplessness in these two tertiary care providers. The other two secondary/tertiary care providers at Giginyu and Zoo road are waiting for President Muhammad Buhari's visit to kano before they are put into use.
The problem is compounded by incessant strikes by Doctors and other Health workers and insufficient budgetary allocation to health sector. I learnt that State House Clinic receives more budgetary allocation than all the 20+ Teaching Hospitals in the country put together.
It is no longer news to us that the problem is inherited, but the fact that things are getting worse or allowed to go unattended to during this administration is unbelievable and really disappointing.
I will like to draw the attention of Federal and Kano state Governments that Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Mohd Abdullahi Wase Hospital and Murtala Specialist Hospital and several other hospitals across the country are in dire need of manpower and expansion to accommodate more wards in order to reduce some of the sufferings of patients.
I heard in the news today that Nigeria loses 1 billion dollars every year to foreign medical trips.
By Hamza Ibrahim Baba
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