The recent disclosure by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, that President Ahmed Tinubu has approved a budget of N110 billion to upgrade facilities in 18 university teaching hospitals is a welcome development.
The minister broke down the funds: N70 billion will be used to rehabilitate the medical schools to international standards, while N15 billion is allocated for new student hostels. Also, 76 tertiary institutions will receive cutting-edge medical simulation centres, and universities will be mandated to increase their medical admission quotas.
The plan includes creating eight simulation laboratories. Each university will also receive an average of N4 billion to transform the learning environment for future medical professionals in a policy designed to reduce the lure of foreign training.
The government’s decision to use TETFund to carry out this laudable project gives the impression that it will not fail like the others before it, as the agency is known for faithfully implementing projects and programmes in the tertiary education sector.
According to the minister, the entire project is to stop the growing Japa syndrome in the medical profession, retain professionals to serve the country instead of producing for other nations rated as having functional facilities, better incentives, and enhanced working environment.
Alausa explained that the intervention targets the core medical sciences – medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and nursing – and is expected to increase enrolment across these programmes.
That the investment will be implemented over five years and projected to cost N1.5 trillion at its conclusion reveals proper planning. However, the country’s problem is not good planning but implementation.
The state of Nigeria’s health sector, particularly the teaching hospitals, has been a source of concern for citizens and healthcare professionals alike. Years of neglect, underfunding, and high-level corruption have damaged these critical institutions, compromising the quality of healthcare and medical education.
While upgrading the selected school is a crucial step, the government must look beyond infrastructure and address the systemic challenges plaguing it. There is so much decay and a dearth of facilities in the sector that some teaching hospitals have no more than 10 bed spaces in their intensive and emergency care units.
Many Nigerians in need of medical care who throng these hospitals are kept waiting for hours to get a vacant bed. In most cases, they are turned back by the overworked and distressed personnel in these units, who scream, “No bed space, go elsewhere”, at the relatives of the sick. Sometimes, getting a bed space in the hospitals depend on who you know within or outside the system.
To discontinue this ugly practice, we call on the government and the management of these hospitals to ensure the effective utilisation of the budgeted funds, prioritise not only the renovation of buildings but also the enhancement of medical equipment, technology, and, most importantly, the welfare of healthcare professionals.
Like any other organisation, teaching hospitals’ real assets are the dedicated healthcare professionals and educators who work tirelessly to provide quality care and train the next generation of medical practitioners.
The government must consider implementing incentives such as competitive salaries, improved working conditions, and opportunities for professional development to retain and attract top talent. Without a motivated and well-supported workforce, even the most modern facilities will struggle to deliver optimal results.
Similarly, the timely implementation of the upgrade project is crucial to restoring public confidence in these institutions and ensuring that they can resume their role as centres of excellence in medical education and healthcare delivery.
Therefore, the government must work closely with hospital administrators, healthcare professionals, and other stakeholders to develop a clear roadmap for the project and set realistic and realisable timelines and milestones.
Moreover, a sustainable funding mechanism should be established to ensure the long-term viability of these institutions. Those vested with implementing this project should endeavour to conduct a needs assessment for each teaching hospital to identify their priorities. There should also be an investment in the training and development of healthcare professionals to enhance their skills and motivation.
Hospitals in the country should leverage modern technology to improve patient care, medical education, and institutional management. They should be well-equipped with technologies to handle terminal ailments such as cancer so that Nigerians don’t need to travel far to get treatment.
Should the government holistically manage this revitalisation project, Nigeria’s teaching hospitals could once again become beacons of excellence in healthcare and medical education, serving as a cornerstone for the nation’s health sector development.
The way to go is for those assigned with the responsibility of achieving this goal of enhanced healthcare delivery to eschew the tendency to perceive it as a political package to be taken undue advantage of.