By Pharm Opara Augusta Onyinyechi
Introduction
According to the Nigerian Health Facility Register, there were 40,821 healthcare facilities in Nigeria as of 2019.
This includes 34,675 primary health care facilities, 5,780 secondary care facilities, and 166 tertiary care facilities.
It is the most populous country in Africa, with a staggering population of over 227 million as of 2023. This reflects how poorly the government has performed in providing healthcare to its vast population.
Let’s not even talk about the dilapidated condition and the poor equipment in most of these facilities.
Another factor that has significantly impacted healthcare delivery negatively in Nigeria is the issue of brain drain, which the Punch Newspaper reported that over 16,000 doctors have left Nigeria in the past seven years.
These challenges, coupled with corruption, have left the country’s healthcare delivery system in poor shape, leading to poor healthcare outcomes and almost non-existent preventive care.
What has become the talk of the day is the increasing number of slum-and-die cases due to poor or a gross lack of access to healthcare or healthcare information and guidance.
A Dilapidated Healthcare Facility in Nigeria
The government and the people are seeking solutions that provide greater access to quality and affordable healthcare and healthcare information.
While several studies and interventions consider digital health a promising intervention, one might ask: what about underserved areas that lack access to mobile devices or internet networks? How will they benefit from telemedicine, or will they be left behind as another population? Hence, a more comprehensive solution is needed. This article will therefore explore mobile health clinics as a method of revolutionising healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
What Are Mobile Health Clinics and Why Do They Matter in Nigeria
A mobile health clinic is a customised vehicle that provides healthcare services to people in communities and underserved areas. It can be seen as “a doctor’s office on wheels.” It provides a variety of healthcare services, such as consultations, labs, pharmacy, and vital signs monitoring.
Usually, it involves a team of qualified healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, scientists, and pharmacists. A mobile health clinic differs from digital health or telemedicine because it is not conducted virtually on a device; it offers a one-on-one consultation, checkup, and prescription filling, just like a hospital.
A Mobile Health Clinic: Top Benefits of Mobile Clinics in Nigeria’s Healthcare Landscape
Adopting a mobile health clinic in Nigeria will bring many benefits to both patients and healthcare professionals.
Enhanced Access to Healthcare Services
By reaching out to underserved communities, the mobile health clinic brings the doctor’s office to their doorsteps. This eliminates the barrier posed by distance and also ensures treatment is tailored according to the population’s health needs.
Additionally, when a patient’s health needs require specialist care, the mobile clinic guides them in accessing and navigating the broader healthcare system.
For healthcare professionals, the mobile health clinic enables them to tailor their services to the prevalent diseases or care needs of their population. This ensures specialisation and fosters quality care.
Lower cost of Healthcare Delivery
Mobile health clinics have lower overhead costs because they do not have a permanent building, reducing operational costs. Also, mobile health clinics employ fewer healthcare professionals while still delivering quality care to patients.
Lower overhead costs and fewer employees make a mobile clinic cost-efficient to operate. The mobile clinic offers preventive services to help patients avoid certain illnesses that might otherwise drain their pockets. Also, the emergency services provided by mobile clinics help patients avoid the high costs of emergency room visits.
Health Education and Outreach
Healthcare professionals in a mobile health clinic also provide educational services to help the population they serve make healthy lifestyle choices to avoid certain diseases. They also offer educational services, such as workshops, seminars, and printed materials, to help people manage chronic conditions.
Primary Healthcare and Preventive Care
The mobile health clinic provides screening, physical examinations, vaccinations, chronic disease management, and education. By identifying health issues early and educating people about preventive care, they help people maintain and improve their health.
Services offered by Mobile Health Clinic
Mobile health clinics can serve as the first line of defence against diseases. They can serve as the first point of contact for the patients. They offer a range of services, such as
Emergency medical attention
Primary care
Screenings for preventive health
Management of chronic diseases
Services for behavioural health
Dental treatment
Prenatal care
Care for children
Challenges that Can Mitigate the Adoption of Mobile Health Clinics in Nigeria
Funding
There is no doubt that mobile health clinics offer significant benefits not only to patients but also to healthcare providers and the community at large.
However, various studies have found that this health intervention initiative is underfunded, with a large share of funding coming from grants or philanthropic donations.
Therefore, getting policymakers to include mobile health clinics in the annual health budget will not only enhance the initiative but also save more lives than a traditional clinic can.
Poor Road Networks
It is a known fact that most Nigerian roads, especially in the rural areas where these mobile clinics will operate, are death traps; this will therefore impede the free movement of these vehicles to underserved populations. Also, poor road networks and poorly planned buildings in rural areas will limit access to specific locations.
Culture and Perception
As with any new initiative, people’s cultural perceptions can also serve as a stumbling block to the adoption of the mobile health clinic. People might be reluctant to use a mobile health clinic due to fear or a lack of trust in healthcare professionals.
To overcome these challenges and make the mobile health clinic a successful initiative in Nigeria, several bodies and agencies have to come together to provide the necessary funds for its establishment and operational costs.
Also, in areas with poor road networks, a converging point can be established where people can walk easily. Finally, adequate education and awareness should be provided, especially about the benefits of mobile health clinics, to break down cultural stereotypes.Pharmacist Opara Augusta Onyinyechi is the Superintendent pharmacist at Keshmak Pharmacist, Sapele, Delta State.