By Seyi Gesinde
October 19, 2026
There is something profoundly disturbing about a country reaching ๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ and still having citizens who can be taken from one hospital to another in an emergency, only to discover that the next hospital is also unable to save them.
At what point do we stop calling this misfortune?
At what point do we stop saying, โ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐โ, and begin asking what those entrusted with public resources have done with them?
Nigeria is an oil rich nation.
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Yet there are situations in which a human being struggling to breathe can enter a hospital and discover that the hospital cannot provide the most basic means of helping that person breathe.
A ventilator.
Oxygen.
A pulse oximeter.
A functioning patient monitor.
A suction machine.
A defibrillator.
A resuscitation bag and mask.
Emergency drugs.
Blood.
A trained emergency team.
A functioning laboratory.
Imaging.
An intensive care unit.
These are not luxuries from another planet. They are part of the basic architecture of emergency and critical care. WHO specifically identifies oxygen as an essential medicine and lists oxygen systems, pulse oximeters, patient monitors, ventilators, CPAP/BiPAP, suction equipment and other devices as important components of care. Its emergency-care guidance also stresses rapid recognition, resuscitation and referral because, in emergencies, ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐.
So imagine a patient in a Nigerian town around Oyo who suddenly develops severe respiratory distress.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐ ๐ฟ๐๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น ๐.
โ๐ก๐ผ ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ฟ.โ
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น ๐.
โ๐ก๐ผ ๐ผ๐ ๐๐ด๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐.โ
๐๐ผ๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น ๐.
โ๐ก๐ผ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ.โ
๐๐ผ๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น ๐.
โ๐ง๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐ ๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น.โ
๐๐ผ๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น ๐.
โ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น.โ
They arrive at the teaching hospital, only to discover that the required emergency intervention is unavailable.
Then another hospital.
And another.
And another.
๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น๐.
And the patient is still travelling.
At some point, the journey itself becomes the disease.
The family is no longer looking for a specialist.
They are looking for a machine.
They are looking for oxygen.
They are looking for somebody to say, โ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ถ๐ป. ๐ช๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐.โ
But what if the hospital cannot?
What if the private hospital capable of doing it is in Lekki, Lagos?
What is the family supposed to do?
Put a critically ill patient in a vehicle and begin a race from Oyo to Lagos?
This is the absurdity we must confront.
๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ต๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐บ๐ฝ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ก๐ถ๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฝ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ, ๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฏ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ, ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ป๐ผ ๐น๐ถ๐บ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฎ ๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐ธ๐ธ๐ถ ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐บ.
GOD did not create the geographical inequality of healthcare.
GOD did not decree that a patient must pass eight hospitals before finding one equipped to save a life.
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GOD did not say public hospitals should lack the equipment required for emergency care.
And please, let us stop hiding preventable failures behind GOD.
When a patient dies because the available health facility could not provide an intervention that should have been available, saying โ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐โ may comfort the grieving, but it must never become an excuse for institutional failure.
๐๐ถ๐ฑ ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ฒ๐น๐น ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐?
Our GOD is compassionate.
He is not a killer.
He is not glorified by needless deaths.
Faith does not absolve human beings of responsibility. If anything, responsibility becomes more serious when public resources have been entrusted to them.
Nigeria does not lack evidence of the consequences.
WHO’s latest figures put Nigeria’s maternal mortality ratio at about ๐ญ,๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ต๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ญ๐ฌ๐ฌ,๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฏ. The corresponding figure for the United Kingdom was about ๐ด.๐ฏ, and for the United States about ๐ญ๐ฒ.๐ฒ. Nigeria’s under-five mortality rate was about ๐ญ๐ญ๐ณ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ต๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ญ,๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฎ, compared with about ๐ฐ.๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐จ๐ and ๐ฒ.๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐จ๐ฆ. These differences cannot all be blamed on hospitals, because health outcomes have many causes, but they tell a devastating story about the distance between Nigerians and the level of health protection available in better-functioning systems.
And then there is the financial dimension.
WHO reports that out-of-pocket payments accounted for about ๐ณ๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ก๐ถ๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ’๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ต ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฏ, making the ability to access care heavily dependent on what a household can pay.
So the Nigerian citizen is sometimes confronted by a terrible equation:
๐ก๐ผ ๐บ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ๐.
๐ก๐ผ ๐ฒ๐พ๐๐ถ๐ฝ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐.
๐ก๐ผ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐๐.
๐ก๐ผ ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ.
๐ก๐ผ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ.
Meanwhile, we issue condolence statements.
We write ๐ฅ๐๐ฃ.
We post photographs.
We say, โMay GOD give the family the strength to bear the loss.โ
And we move on.
But some of those people did not have to become memorial photographs.
๐ฆ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐น๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ.
That is the thought that should haunt us.
There are private individuals who deserve genuine commendation for building hospitals, funding medical projects, supporting patients and investing in healthcare. Their contributions demonstrate that Nigerians can build institutions of remarkable value.
But private excellence cannot become an excuse for public inadequacy.
How many Nigerians can afford the best private hospitals?
How many can reach them in time?
How many families in rural communities can transport a critically ill patient hundreds of kilometres because the nearest public facility cannot provide emergency care?
Healthcare is not meaningful merely because an excellent hospital exists somewhere.
๐ ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ผ๐ป๐น๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐.
That is why the government must think differently.
Nigeria has ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฐ ๐น๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐ด๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐, and the Federal Government itself says health financing is already being channelled towards thousands of primary healthcare centres and emergency medical services.
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Then let us set an audacious but measurable national objective:
๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐น๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐ด๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐น๐ ๐ณ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐-๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐๐ฏ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น.
Not a building with a signboard.
Not a hospital that exists beautifully in photographs but cannot resuscitate a dying patient.
๐ ๐ณ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น.
๐ช๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐.
๐ ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐ผ๐ ๐๐ด๐ฒ๐ป.
๐ฃ๐๐น๐๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ ๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐.
๐ฃ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐บ๐ผ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐.
๐๐ฒ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ถ๐น๐น๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐.
๐ฆ๐๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป.
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฒ๐พ๐๐ถ๐ฝ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐.
๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐.
๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐.
๐๐น๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ณ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐๐.
๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ถ๐บ๐ฎ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ด.
๐ข๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ถ๐๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น.
๐๐บ๐ฏ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐.
๐ง๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ป๐ฒ๐น.
๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐๐๐๐ฒ๐บ.
WHO’s own emergency-care framework recognises that effective care begins at the scene, continues through transport and reaches the emergency unit and early inpatient care.
Then let every state have properly equipped referral hospitals capable of handling the cases that local facilities cannot.
This is not asking Nigeria to become America overnight.
It is asking Nigeria to become ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ.
A country does not demonstrate development only by the number of airports, bridges, government houses or kilometres of road it builds.
Sometimes development is much simpler.
๐ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐น๐ฑ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฝ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ ๐ธ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฑ๐ผ.
A pregnant woman begins to haemorrhage, and blood is available.
A road accident victim arrives unconscious, and a trained team begins resuscitation immediately.
A heart attack occurs, and the emergency department is equipped to respond.
A patient needs oxygen, and oxygen is there.
A patient needs ventilation, and a functioning ventilator is there.
The family does not have to visit eight hospitals.
The patient does not have to travel from Oyo to Lekki.
Nobody has to begin calculating whether death will arrive before the next referral letter.
That is what a functioning health system means.
After 66 years, ๐น๐ฒ๐ ๐ก๐ถ๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐น๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐ด๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐.
Let every state have a referral hospital worthy of the name.
Let public money become visible not only in budgets and speeches, but in oxygen flowing through a patient’s lungs, blood entering a mother’s veins, a monitor displaying a heartbeat and a trained doctor saying:
โ๐ช๐ฒ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ. ๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐.โ
And perhaps, then, we can reduce the number of condolence messages that should never have been written.
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๐ง๐ผ๐น๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ must become an eye opener, a wake up call and a revolution in our national consciousness.
A bundle of talent, a rising star and a life full of promise, breathed his last just like that.
Medical experts have said that many life threatening emergencies are treatable and need not end in death if the right medical attention is provided promptly. His tragic experience raises a haunting question, why should a man have to be taken to two hospitals, let alone eight, without a single one providing the help he desperately needed, in a country still parading itself as the Giant of Africa?
๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฎ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ก๐ถ๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎโ๐ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ต ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐. ๐ข๐๐ฟ ๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ด, ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ณ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฒ๐พ๐๐ถ๐ฝ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐, ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐พ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ป๐ฒ๐น ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ.
My heartfelt condolences to his wife, children, family and loved ones, and to every Nigerian family that has lost someone to a failing hospital system. May their pain not become another forgotten statistic.
Because the greatest tribute to the dead is not another RIP.
It is building the system that might have kept the next person alive.
Let Nigerians die when death is inevitable, not because help was unavailable.
That is not too much to ask after 66 years.
It is the very least a nation should owe its people.
