Out of the 200 million people living in the nation, 66.8 million (33.4%) are unemployed, which is a significant unemployment rate. Of them, 25.4 million hold certificates or university degrees, some of which are in the subjects of biology, chemistry, and biomedical sciences, which are the natural sciences. We see a way to attract some of these bright young minds to allied health occupations like physician associates, advanced nurse practitioners, and allied health professionals. One strategy that could improve the state’s healthcare resource capacity is a recruiting campaign for such positions, accompanied by an emphasis on scholarships for healthcare training. The knowledge and enthusiasm of our network of doctors in Nigeria and the diaspora provide the Foundation with the chance to support this.
In addition, worldwide epidemics of Ebola, Lassa Fever, MERS, Swine Flu, and Covid SARS2 have occurred over the past 20 years. More of these epidemic and pandemic outbreaks are expected in the future. The WHO has also determined that infections and trauma account for the majority of emergency care costs in low- and medium-income countries (LMIC), with trauma predicted to overtake cancer as the third-leading cause of death by 2030. Diseases including ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular illness, and cancer are all expected to increase as a result of the increasingly western way of life we lead. This emphasises the requirement for creating adaptable health systems that can control these occurrences.
While the aforementioned problems are common to most LMIC and undoubtedly in most states in Nigeria, a gap analysis must be performed specifically for Kaduna State in order to enable prescriptive solutions that would target particular areas for improvement. This makes it essential for any partnership between the State and the Foundation.
Implementing sustained solutions for healthcare improvement requires a combination of political will, leadership, and accountability.
“Diaspora doctors are not just healers; they are bridges, connecting the healthcare landscapes of their adopted homes with the knowledge, experiences, and innovations from their roots. Their commitment to serving communities, both near and far, embodies the essence of global health equity.”
Through the ABCD programme, the Concerned Medics Foundation is now working with the Barau Dikko teaching hospital. will make use of the knowledge and abilities of CMF members both locally and abroad, as well as any other tools we have at our disposal. CMF advises that the State choose one of its institutions as the pilot base for this partnership in order to create a realistic project.
CMF will create training modules on patient safety, clinical governance, infection control and prevention techniques, critical care, safer surgery, mother and child health, and acute and emergency care.
Interactive virtual and in-person training sessions, as well as hands-on workshops, will be used to deliver the modules. We have a group of licenced physicians who are ready to take time off from their existing jobs in the UK, the USA, and other countries to travel to Nigeria and assist with ongoing training and service delivery. The government will be counted on to support the provision of security, lodging, and transportation.
Our goal is to create a plan for exchange that would give Nigerian doctors access to a time of observership in the UK and vice versa. The State government would pay for this.
In the long run, the Foundation is considering working with state governments to establish allied health positions that would complement the state’s healthcare personnel. For graduates of the natural sciences, this will take the shape of creating a training programme for physician associates. As in presently operating programmes in the UK and elsewhere, the training would last for two years, with the first year spent at Kaduna State University and the second year spent on hospital rotations (for instance, at Barau Dikko Hospital).
A three-year contract with the state government sponsoring trained PAs might be necessary. The same is true for nurses, who can upgrade their competencies to take on advanced nurse practitioner jobs. This is consistent with comprehensive human resource and workforce planning undertaken to address the massive healthcare workforce crisis in other regions of the world.
By improving annual planning and performance reviews, including health care finance reforms and innovations, we can increase the health system’s capacity and skills. The health system will become more accountable, transparent, and effective as a result.
We anticipate the Government’s acknowledgement being favourable. The CMF is adamant that the government and the medical community must work together to address the severe healthcare issues that have dogged Nigeria for years. A strong relationship between the government’s visionary leadership and the passion, commitment, and drive of the CMF membership will start to bring about real healthcare transformation.
