When the Lifesavers Walk Away

When the people we rely on to save lives have to put down their tools just to be heard, you know something is deeply broken. The health sector in many countries, especially in developing nations, is hanging by a thread, underfunded, understaffed, and often overlooked. Doctors and nurses work long hours, often with outdated equipment, delayed salaries, and little appreciation. Patients, on the other hand, are left in limbo, caught between a system that barely works and professionals who have had enough. So, when doctors go on strike, it’s never just about pay. It’s about survival, theirs and ours. But the question remains: will it make a difference? Or is it just another cry into a system that’s already deaf? I will be answering some simple questions so you can know the state of the medical staff in my country.

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Note, all answers are based on personal experience, which may be the same as the majority or the minority. Now, sit back, and let’s talk about it.

The health care in my country is not so bad if we are to look at it in general. While some states in the country suffer from poor health care, we can't generalize that all states in the country have poor health care. While I was working at EL-Hanan's Venture Limited in 2023 in Abuja, this being a medical firm that supplies medical equipment to different hospitals in need, I had a lot of opportunities to visit a lot of hospitals, both private and public, and I saw how good and great they are. While in Abuja, I saw a lot of nice hospitals with good health care and well-trained doctors and nurses, but the case is not like that in every country.

I have been to a state in Nigeria where the hospital medical care is bad. I am not going to mention the state but while I was in that hospital, firstly, you would be able to tell that the health care there is poor because how will a doctor who is on duty, when needed, not be found? Sometimes their lazy attitude towards patient is very annoying, and when I asked a doctor friend what's wrong, he said

The hospital has a nice building because it is a state hospital but the medical staff aren't paid well, and the equipment are outdated and some of it is not working, so when doctors know they can't do anything without certain equipment, they just try to avoid the patient to avoid explaining the kind of situation the hospital is in.

So, I understand from the doctor's side too. Sometimes, these doctors want to help, too but the situation they find themselves in is pretty much what makes them act the way they do. Also, this is why most practitioners leave the country to work in other countries where their medical practitioners are well taken care of.

It would be a great help if the government spent more funds on the medical health care of the country. I mean, they have to invest more in health care because with healthy citizens, the country itself is healthy but it is sad to say that many of the governors don't think that much of the medical facilities in the country since they can always travel out for medical checkups.

Most times, doctors and health practitioners have to go on strike and protest before some basic things can be done.

I am sure it wouldn't be like this forever but one day, I hope things get better in every part of the country.

Thanks for reading. My name is Fashtioluwa.