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A professor of Surgery at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Edward Komolafe, on Tuesday, opined that Nigerians will soon find it difficult to get medical practitioners to attend to patients at various hospitals if the Federal Government fails to attend to the issue of “Japa Syndrome.”
He made this known while speaking with The PUNCH on the sideline of a Nigerian Academy of Neurological Surgeons Conference held at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, on Tuesday.
The conference has the theme, “Nigeria And Contemporary Neurosurgical Practice,” held in honour of Professors Temitayo Shokunbi and Adefolarin Malomo, who retired at the age of 70 from the services of the University of Ibadan and University College Hospital, Ibadan.
Komolafe stressed the need for the government to bridge the gap in the health system, especially in the neurosurgeon practice as many practitioners were leaving the country in search of greener pastures in the developed western world.
“Japa syndrome is eating the health system very badly. In my hospital in Ife, in the last two months, we have three new neurologists. Now it remains only one.
“In the last 10 years, I have trained 12 neurosurgeons. Half of them are outside the country as we are talking.
“Even those that are within the country, they are looking for better places where they can get better pay, none wants to work with the government because the pay is terrible,” he lamented.
He further attributed the Japa syndrome to systemic failure, as well as government and institutional failure.
“When we look at the systemic failure in Nigeria, for example, the social, and economic situation, the social life is nothing to write home about. It is very disappointing, very frustrating.
“A lot of people are having depression, committing suicide because they can hardly live with the situation now. When you now extend it to the health system, you find out that many patients can hardly afford to come to the hospital.
“In the hospital, the consultation fee is about N2,000 or N3,000, which is nothing but many can still not afford this, not to talk of buying drugs.
“A monthly dose of some anti-hypertensive drugs costs nothing less than N50,000 for some people, so where are they going to get this?
“They are retirees and not receiving any pension, even those that are working, what is their take home? The take home has been consumed by fuel which is not even enough for half of a month.
“So, the social life is very difficult. A lot of health hazards are now been seen, particularly in neurological conditions,” he said.
He added that corruption in the system had become worse, such that hospitals were dilapidated.
“You can even call it like abattoirs where you kill and slaughter animals. It’s as if patients come to the hospital and are just allowed to die because there is no equipment, there is no drugs, no medication, there is no facilities to take care of them.
He urged the government to bridge the gap, adding that the government must also be held accountable for every Kobo spent on the health sector.
“The solution is that we must deal with the corruption in our system. The governments must be held accountable for every Kobo they spend. And they must spend it wisely.
“The World Health Organisation advocated for 15 per cent of the budget to be allocated to health; this year, the allocation to health is 4.47 per cent, less than five per cent.
“For a country that has more than 200 million population, this is not fair to Nigerians. The government must do something better, in terms of funding and proper allocation to health to service the health care system,” he said.
The event chairman, Babatunde Salako, said, “We are here today to celebrate and honour two remarkable individuals who have dedicated their lives to the field of neurosurgery, Professors Shokunbi and Malomo.
“As they retire at the age of 70 from the services of the University of Ibadan and University College Hospital, Ibadan, we reflect on their incredible contributions, both to our institution and to the countless lives they have touched academically and professionally throughout their careers.
“Both of them have exemplified the essence of what it means to be a first-class neurosurgeon. With their unparalleled skill, unwavering dedication, and compassion, they have not only advanced surgical techniques but have also transformed the lives of countless patients and their students.
“Their expertise has been a beacon of hope for families facing the most challenging of circumstances in neurosurgical medicine,” he said.
In their separate responses, the duo of Shokunbi and Malomo appreciated the organisers for the honour bestowed on them.
Dignitaries at the event were the President of the Nigerian Academy of Neurological Surgeons, Olufemi Bankole; the Chairman of the Advisory Committee, Abiodun Adeoye; Local Organizing Committee Chairman, Augustine Adeolu; the Permanent Secretary, Oyo State Ministry of Health, Akintunde Ayinde, and a host of others.
