The Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Brain and Spine Foundation Africa, Engr. Chika Okwuolisa has said that Nigeria is not ready to combat issues of neurological conditions considering lack of neurologist in the country.
Okwuolisa while speaking in Abuja over the weekend at the Brain and Spine Foundation BSSS-IC ART GALA 2022 stated that the country’s healthcare system in currently in a bad shape and the country has not even scratched the surface on tackling neurological conditions.
“In a developing country like Nigeria, our healthcare is in very bad shape, but considering the neurological sector, it’s another story entirely, it’s something that we have not even scratched the surface when it comes to disorder conditions of brain and spine, it’s something that we have not scratched the surface”.
She explained that the World Health Recommendation for Nigeria has not been achieved due to dearth of enough neurologists in the country.
“Like for example, WHO recommend that for every one thousand persons, there must be one neurosurgeon, but in Nigeria, how many neurosurgeons can we boast of?
“So we understand that the problem is there and we can’t just complain, it’s just what life threw at me, my sister had 5 surgeries, 3 in Nigeria and 2 abroad, so we are trying to see how to help 1,2,3 persons at a time, our healthcare is in a bad shape but neurological area is not something that we have even started”.
Meanwhile, Okwuolisa noted that the event aims at gathering survivors and those that have lost their loved ones, the medical professionals that has helped them to celebrate the journey so far with people that has suffered neurological conditions.
“We do this annually but we decided to make this a fund raising event because of paucity of funds to enable us seek assistance from the public”.
She added that the Nigeria’s healthcare system could be better if the leaders would support the system and ensure enough budgetary allocations to the system.
“Our leaders are not serious, they have not even started and that is why most of them are quick to jump overseas for their healthcare services, so I don’t like going there because we are not serious yet, our leaders are not serious and that is why we should tell ourselves to the truth as the 2023 election beckons”
“Do we want such crop of leaders that has messed us up to still continue being in power? So it’s time we tell ourselves the truth and know whether we want to continue the way it is now or we really need to change”. She added.