For decades, Nigeria's healthcare sector has been saddled with various challenges. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has shown how medical services in the country are greatly underserved.

So what exactly is the state of the Nigerian healthcare system and why is it that way?

With a healthcare system that’s ranked at 142 out of 195 countries, many Nigerians have expressed fears, doubts, and anger about how prepared they are for a pandemic.

Especially when you compare Nigeria’s current statistics with other countries.

Less than 5% of Nigeria’s 2020 budget was allocated to health care.

And as coronavirus cases continued to increase, it was further reduced to 3.87% from the previous allocation of 4.38%.

Back in 2001, Nigeria was one of the African countries that pledged to increase its annual health budget to 15%.

For 19 consecutive years, it has failed to meet this target.

The closest it’s ever come to the target was 6% in 2012.

But why does this matter?

We need to first take a look at Nigeria’s health profile.

Nigeria has one of the lowest life expectancy rates in the world.

It is also among the worst five globally in infant mortality rate, maternal mortality rate, and HIV infections.

Many hospitals and clinics in Nigeria are understaffed and they lack the medical equipment and surgical supplies they need.

In an interview with @bbcnewspidgin, @DrZobo said "there are some hospitals that even lack gloves and face masks.”

For this year, 7 billion naira (18 million USD) was allocated to purchase health and medical equipment for the entire country.

Meanwhile, 4 billion naira (10.3 million USD) was set aside to fix office buildings for the statehouse in Abuja alone.

On the topic of budgets, pharmacist and president of the Building Nations Initiative @JOluwadero told us his organisation visited a health centre in Oyo state that was "occupied by goats."

And in 2017, The Cable reported that the Aso rock clinic which is expected to treat the president, his family, and staff, did not have paracetamol or cotton wool despite years of investment and budgetary allocations.

Now, as Nigeria faces the Coronavirus, its healthcare shortcomings have been thrown into the spotlight.

There are not nearly enough ICU beds, ventilators, or protective gear for doctors.

The NMA says that Nigeria has about 40,000 doctors. With an estimated population of 200 million, that’s one doctor to 5,000 Nigerians.

In March, as the coronavirus cases in Nigeria were rising, doctors in Abuja went on strike because of salary delays.

Despite this personnel shortage, a national polling agency says more than half of registered doctors have since left Nigeria.

In 2018, it was estimated that 12 doctors from Nigeria were registered every week in the UK, with more than 5,000 Nigerian doctors already working there.

There’s also the issue of health workers’ hazard allowance. The health minister @DrEOEhanire was recently asked about it, and his response was “I’m not aware of it.”

Until April 2020, health workers’ hazard allowance in public hospitals was N5,000.

Doctors are not the only ones leaving the country.

Tens of thousands of Nigerians leave the country every year to seek medical treatment abroad.

The reason could be related to the absence of proper facilities and treatments.

In 2019, President Buhari @MBuhari complained about Nigeria losing over N400bn ($1.03bn) annually to medical tourism.

He has drawn criticism for traveling abroad for medical treatments since he assumed office after promising to end "medical tourism" in 2015.

Nigerians have to pay a huge portion of their health costs before they can receive treatment.

For every amount spent on health treatment, most of it comes from patients. In this aspect, Nigerian patients spend more.

To reduce the burden on patients, the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS was established.

But it only covers less than 5% of the population.

With more than half of the population living in extreme poverty on less than 2 dollars a day, many Nigerians can’t afford proper health care.

Development consultant Dada Alamutu says health care costs are so high that "even in the public hospitals these days, you have to pay."

There still remains a lot to be done to strengthen the country's health care system.

Beyond the pandemic, Nigeria has a very long way to go.
Watch the full video here:

Originally aired on @gistnigeriatv

This video was produced by @BonomiManuella and @sirstuffy. Animation and video editing by @BonomiManuella.

Thanks to the interviewees and journalists who contributed @DrZobo @JOluwadero @zeezeecruise, Dada Alamutu, Innocent Ujah @xtieejiogu @adisaabayomi @nutprince.