Globalization scholarly

Healthcare Systems of Nigeria al Affiliation Healthcare systems have a significant role in improving the quality of life of a nation. In effect, the government of a country needs to place top priority to healthcare. Different countries have various kinds of healthcare systems. The health care system of Nigeria is characterised by a low performance of the government in promoting the accessibility of quality health care services. There is also lack of health care facilities for patients with chronic diseases and terminal illness. This requires the immediate action of the government to enhance the quality of life of its citizens. Healthcare Systems of Nigeria Health care plays a crucial role in promoting public health since it determines the productivity of the citizens and affects the economic performance of a nation. Thus, there is a high need of comprehensive health care systems across countries to ensure that citizens obtain the quality health care they deserve. This essay will illustrate the healthcare system in Nigeria, which includes the manner of delivering healthcare and forms of access. It will also illustrate how healthcare is delivered to patients who has chronic diseases and terminal illness and describe their medical rights. Healthcare Delivery The healthcare system of Nigeria is organised in a decentralised manner with responsibilities delegated to three levels, which are local, state, and the federal. The 774 local government areas coordinate the distribution of medicines and healthcare supplies to primary health care patients. The state manages the general hospitals which has specialised facilities to serve the secondary health care patients while the federal manages hospitals with the most specialised healthcare services (Osain, 2011). University hospitals are tertiary health institutions which provide medical services to patients aside from giving healthcare education to students of medicine (Osain, 2011). Privately-owned hospitals are also part of the national healthcare systems. Healthcare Acquisition There are three means for acquiring health care in Nigeria. One is through a free health and medical care provided for all citizens. Another is through a special type of health insurance provided to all public employees, and through a contractual agreement between private institutions and private medical care providers (Onwujekwe et al., 2011). In spite of this, only a very limited number of people benefit from each scheme. As a response, the National Health Insurance Scheme was legislated on May 1999 to benefit the public employees, private firms, and the informal groups. The legislation also includes the provision of health care services to children below five, persons with a permanent disability, and prisoners (Onwujekwe et al., 2011). Through the National Health Insurance scheme, health care is paid by the entire constituents through their contributions in their chosen insurance funds. Patients have an equal contribution to the insurance funds regardless of previous medical condition, occupation, and age. This increases the pool of insurance funds for the nation which can help in provide the highly specialised medical needs of the patients (Onwujekwe et al., 2011). Healthcare for Chronic Patients Nigeria is one of the countries with the highest cases for chronic diseases. Many people in the rural areas die of chronic illnesses such as diabetes without proper diagnosis. Today, there have been no well established facilities for patients with chronic illness. In effect, a huge project is currently on its way for the construction of a resource center for the management of chronic diseases. This building will serve as a venue for educating patients of chronic illness, forming of support groups, and will serve as a clinic for checkups and monitoring by health care professionals (“ Resource Center,” n. d.). Health Care for Terminal Patients Dying patients, especially the old age, need to receive special health care to reduce their physical and emotional pain. At present, there has been no established hospice in Nigeria which could be a venue for taking care of the terminally sick and the dying. Dying patients in Nigeria are usually taken care of by their families and relatives in their own homes unlike in other countries where a professional caregiver is usually hired. Medical Rights of Nigerians The medical ethics of Nigeria provides the right of patients to accept or refuse a medical treatment (Adekilekun, n. d.). In addition, patients are also entitled to know the different alternatives for treating their illness and the risks involved in each alternative. Most significantly, patients are entitled to decide on their own form of treatment that they are willing to undertake. Conclusion Healthcare is indeed very relevant in enhancing the quality of life of the constituents of a country. Thus, the government of Nigeria needs to undertake strategic actions, which will significantly improve the health care systems of the country. Among these is the improvement of its present insurance scheme to ensure easy access to quality health care for the people in the rural areas. In addition, the government also needs to create health centers that specialise in providing quality health care to patients with chronic disease and terminal illness. All of these are essential for upholding the health of the general public which can significantly influence the productivity levels and economic standing of the country. References Adekilekun, M. T.(n. d.). Medical ethics in the face of emerging medico-legal issues in Nigeria. Retrieved from http://unilorin. edu. ng/publications/adekilekunmt/ MEDICAL%20ETHICS%20IN%20THE%20FACE%20OF%20EMERGING%20MEDICO%20KOGI. pdf Onwujekwe, O. E., Uzochukwu, BS, Ezeoke, O. P., Uguru, N. P. (2011). Health Insurance: Principles, models and the Nigerian National Health Insurance Scheme. Journal of College of Medicine 16(1). Osain, M. W.(2011). The Nigerian health care system: Need for integrating adequate medical intelligence and surveillance system. Journal of Pharmacy & BioAllied Sciences. 3(4), 470-478. “ Resource Center for Chronic Diseases.”(n. d.) GlobalGiving, Accessed from http://www. globalgiving. org/projects/resource-center-for-chronice-disease- mangement/