Daud Olatunji
A former Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC),Abeokuta, Professor Abdus-Samiu Adewale Musa-Olomu, has urged the Federal Government to establish the Office of the Surgeon-General of the Federation to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system and address persistent challenges confronting surgical services across the country.
Musa-Olomu also called on federal and state governments to recruit more general surgeons, introduce affordable health insurance schemes and improve the remuneration and welfare of medical personnel to make quality healthcare accessible to Nigerians, particularly vulnerable populations.
The professor of surgery at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, made the recommendations while delivering the university’s 308th Inaugural Lecture titled, “Beauty of a Surgeon’s Knife: Bringing Smiles to Patients’ Faces.”
He argued that establishing the Office of the Surgeon-General would provide a central institutional framework for coordinating surgical healthcare policies, addressing manpower shortages and tackling other challenges affecting the delivery of surgical services nationwide.
According to him, expanding the training and deployment of general surgeons is particularly important because of their broad professional expertise, which enables them to handle emergencies and a wide range of surgical conditions, especially in rural and underserved communities.
The university don expressed concern over the financial difficulties confronting patients seeking medical attention, stressing that poverty should not prevent Nigerians from accessing life-saving surgical procedures and other essential healthcare services.
He, therefore, advocated affordable health insurance arrangements that would reduce the financial burden of medical treatment and minimise dependence on out-of-pocket payments.
Musa-Olomu further urged tertiary health institutions to strengthen their patient-care systems by ensuring that people presenting at hospitals receive prompt medical attention without unnecessary delays.
On the welfare of healthcare professionals, the former FMC chief maintained that poor remuneration and unfavourable working conditions could undermine the effectiveness of the health sector, calling for improved salaries, better working environments and comprehensive welfare packages to retain skilled medical personnel.
He also identified preventive healthcare as a critical component of an effective health system, urging governments to intensify community health education, improve access to potable water and encourage the consumption of iodised salt to prevent avoidable diseases, including goitre.
The professor called for stronger collaboration between the Nigerian Medical Association and the Association of General Surgeons to institutionalise an annual General Surgeons’ Day, similar to other professional medical observances.
He said such an initiative would promote public awareness of the importance of surgical healthcare while providing an opportunity to recognise the contributions of general surgeons to the nation’s health system.
Musa-Olomu also raised concerns about complications arising from inappropriate treatment by traditional bone setters and inadequately trained community health personnel.
He called for improved training and regulation of such practitioners to reduce avoidable complications, injuries and other health risks associated with unsafe treatment practices.
The inaugural lecturer stressed that improving surgical healthcare in Nigeria required more than the availability of medical facilities, noting that effective service delivery depended on adequate funding, skilled manpower, institutional coordination, functional hospitals and public awareness.
He maintained that deliberate government intervention in these areas would help make surgical services more accessible, affordable and responsive to the healthcare needs of Nigerians.
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