03 Feb 2009 |
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In his book, Modern times, Paul Johnson said that this lack of doctors compelled the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1976, to reversed its policy and announce that hence forth, "Village healers " would be employed in African rural health services, though a distinction was still made between African- type midwives, bonesetters and herbalists on the one hand and "witch doctors" using spells and "superstitions " on the other. In 1977 however, this distinction was dropped and “Witch-doctors”, patronized by 90 Percent of the rural population, were given the same status as scientifically trained practitioners and in Lagos a joint teaching hospital was opened for doctors practicing medicine and "healing". Times have changed. There are literally thousands of doctors graduating from various universities all over Nigeria. But, most have left the country to seek ‘living wages” as a result of harsh economic conditions at home.In 1993, UNDP published figures of Nigerian doctors working outside the country. It claimed that about 20,000 Nigerian doctors practice in the United State alone, while about 30,000 are practicing in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States, Europe, Australia and other African countries. The flight of health professionals is not limited to doctors; it affects nurses, pharmacists and social services personnel as well. The remaining ones are competing for the few available spaces in government owned teaching hospitals; since few private ones are successful. 0Also, studies carried out by Phrma online revealed a lack of equity in the planning and distribution of health care facilities in Nigeria. Often regions with difficult terrain and physical environment are neglected. Hospital facilities are thus concentrated in cities, leaving rural areas without coverage. Furthermore, men possessing “true Juju healing art or gift” are hard to find these days. Perhaps, the “gift” has been withdrawn by the “giver” since it is no longer needed in this modern age of sophistication and technology. There is therefore no doubt that the Nigerian villagers are worse off today than they were in the 60’s. Their inability to attract and pay the salaries of qualified doctors; their being overlooked in the planning of hospital distribution around the country as well as a lack of regular out-reach program to villages by bigger hospitals, has created a vacuum which is now being filled by “Con-men” who are neither qualified doctors nor qualified nurses nor authentic Juju-men. They are just pretenders searching for money by posing as doctors. They play on the ignorance and often fetish beliefs of the villagers. A doctor friend of mine, who works in a teaching hospital, lamented the high number of villagers that come from the village clinics to his hospital to die. He told the pathetic story of a child who died a few hours after admission. The child had a minor infection of the chest wall; the parents took her to the village clinic. Unaware they met a Con-man pretending to be a doctor, who claimed the child stepped on “melecin” a local name for fetish charm, and that he will cure it. For two months, the man kept on administering one type of concoction or the other on the poor child, while his conditions kept degenerating. The infections finally spread to the chest and the gastrointestinal system, with the child’s abdomen swollen up to an unbelievable size. Realizing the child was about to die, and in desperation the parent forcefully removed the child to the teaching hospital in town where my friend works. By the time they arrived it was too late. The child died! A victim of a Con-juju-man The Nigerian Medical Council whose motor is “To regulate the practice of Medicine, Dentistry and Alternative Medicine in the most efficient manner that safeguards best healthcare delivery for Nigerians” should know why people are dying; especially in the villages. They should investigate every single death in the country. If a patient coming from a village dies and the last doctor to manage him cannot explain satisfactorily “why”, then, the relations of the dead patient should be mandated to write down all the intermediate stages of management, medical or otherwise, prior to coming to the general hospital. Such information as when the illness started, how long it took to go to clinic, herbalist or traditionalist, how many months spent with the herbalist, the next place tried, how long it took, and final place before death. The information should be sent to a medical review panel that would look into them, case by case. The result of the findings should be used for continuous education, by way of seminars, to enlighten all doctors. This will help to build up cases against these Con-men, perpetrators of evil, so that the Medical Council as body can prosecute them. While at the same time creating the awareness of what is happening. Equally, efforts should be made to educate villagers to differentiate between Con-men and good doctors and on how to put themselves at “alert” against such people; while at the same time, provisions should be made for counselling the victims as many are disillusioned.
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