By Oghenefego Ofili
‘Fixing Healthcare in Nigeria’ is a five chapter book with forty pages. In this book, Dr. Ola Brown shares her ideas on how the healthcare system in Nigeria can be made to work for the wellbeing of every Nigerian, so they can live happy, healthy lives and be able to contribute to the future of the country.
In a very beautiful way, she discusses how Nigeria can learn from Dangote’s Cement Company in the first chapter. Dr. Ola Brown made a case for improving the Primary Healthcare services to attend to general health needs while specialized cases should be referred to centralized centres. She suggests that primary healthcare should take care of majority of medical consultations, while tertiary level care should focus on specialized cases. This in her opinion should be the basis for optimized resource allocation in the Nigerian health care system.
Chapter two focuses on various approaches to financing healthcare in Nigeria. A combination of the ideas proposed could move Nigeria in the right direction in this area. In the third chapter, a quote attributed to the World Economic Forum had me seat quietly for a few minute in shock. It reads as follows: “Given Nigeria’s current training models and health delivery practices, it would take that country 300years to train the same number of doctors per capita as it currently exists in developed countries.”
Dr. Ola Brown believes the task-shifting policy has the potential to bridge the gap to improve the quality and efficiency of the Nigerian healthcare system.
I particularly enjoyed reading chapter four because I have always been a believer in the idea that the primary healthcare system in Nigeria should be the focus in achieving coverage and access to health services by all Nigerians. In this chapter, she makes a case for a robust primary healthcare system, rooted in public provision of care, which supports comprehensive, continuous, coordinated and equitable care for the entire population. You need to read her analysis of this idea.
Chapter five focuses on child mortality in Nigeria and how this can be tackled. The author shared a personal story and how this motivated her to start the air ambulance company (Flying Doctors). She reemphasizes the need for the primary healthcare facilities to be equipped to meet the needs of children with highly preventable or easily treatable illnesses.
Dr. Ola Brown has taken the time to analyze some of the most pressing issues in the Nigeria healthcare system and most importantly proffered possible solutions. I enjoyed reading this book and I recommend every Nigerian reads it, especially those involved in policy formulation and implementation in the healthcare system in Nigeria.
