Free Health Care Management in Nigeria Essay Sample

Health care situation in Nigeria is typical of several African states. It has evolved from a strong basis in tradition where medicine men were the main physicians to a relatively modern and westernized version due to the need of improving wellness among the citizens. Presently, there are several modern clinics and hospital in Nigeria where nurses and doctors are the principle health providers. However, not everyone in Nigeria has given-up the traditional means of remedying illnesses. There are a significant number of people who argues that herbal remedies are as effective as the modern medicine. Additionally, unlike the modern medications, there is a common belief that herbal remedies don’t result into long term side effects. At times, several Nigerians utilize a combination of modern and traditional remedies and this has been noted to have desirable results.

 
Get a Price Quote:
- +
Total price:
 
 

The Current Health Policy in Nigeria

The goal of the Nigerian Health Policy is to accomplish a comprehensive medical care system that improves the well being of every Nigerian in an economic manner that reduces strain on individual and communities. To achieve this, the government has embarked on a nationwide education program that is aimed on educating the citizens on the prevailing health challenges, and the methods of managing those challenges. In addition to education, the government is promoting effective food supply in order to enhance nutrition, and this improves the immune system of individual which ends-up saving the government a lot of resources. The policy expresses the right of every person, and child in particular, to get immunized against the preventable infectious diseases at the right time. Immunization has been noted to be effective in controlling and preventing local epidemic and endemic diseases. Moreover, this policy has advanced the provision of the important drug supplies.

The Multilevel Health Care System in Nigeria

In Nigeria, there exist three-tier medical systems whose divisions are: the Primary Medicare, the Secondary Medicare, and the Tertiary Medicare.

  • The Primary Medicare

At this level, health care provision is a responsibility of the Local Governments. However, the Local Governments gets logistical support from the Ministry of Health, and they have to operate within the national policy on health. Several privately owned clinics also operate at this level, and their effectiveness has helped advance the Government’s goal on the provision of health.

  • Secondary Medicare

This is a level where provision of health care is specialized. Patients attended in this case are those that have been referred from the basic medical care level. This level offers in-patient and out-patient services to patients which include general medical evaluation, pediatric, community health, and surgical services. Secondary medical attention is offered at the zonal, divisional, and district levels in each state. At this level, adequate supporting services which include diagnostic, laboratory, blood bank, physiotherapy, and rehabilitation are provided.

  • Tertiary Medicare

This is a level where highly specialized services are provided. The institutions that are involved in this case are the specialist and teaching hospitals which are geared towards providing care and attention to specific ailments such as eye and ear diseases. They also handle other cases which may be orthopedic, pediatric, maternity, and psychiatric in nature. The government policy requires that these hospitals be evenly distributed. It also requires the incorporation of support services when these facilities are being developed to enable them offer effective referral services. Moreover, selected centers are provided with modern technology and also encouraged to employ special expertise which would enable them offer the state or art medical attention to the citizens.

Conclusion

To advance the overall national medical policy, the states and federal governments work in close association with the private practitioners, non-governmental organisations, and voluntary agencies with the aim of ensuring that the medical services provided are in line with the national and international standards.

Health care situation in Nigeria is typical of several African states. It has evolved from a strong basis in tradition where medicine men were the main physicians to a relatively modern and westernized version due to the need of improving wellness among the citizens. Presently, there are several modern clinics and hospital in Nigeria where nurses and doctors are the principle health providers. However, not everyone in Nigeria has given-up the traditional means of remedying illnesses. There are a significant number of people who argues that herbal remedies are as effective as the modern medicine. Additionally, unlike the modern medications, there is a common belief that herbal remedies don’t result into long term side effects. At times, several Nigerians utilize a combination of modern and traditional remedies and this has been noted to have desirable results.

 

Have NO Inspiration
to write your essay?

Ask for Professional help