The Minister of
Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, has said that four percent of the country’s
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is lost to trauma every year.
The minister said
this in Abuja on Monday at the inauguration of a course on trauma and
fracture management organised for Nigerian orthopaedics by an
association which focuses on the study of internal fixation of
fractures. The course had as its theme: “Principle in Operative
Fracture Management in Nigeria.”
The minister assured that government would try to ensure such courses became a regular feature in the country’s health sector.
“Part of the
vision of the government is to ensure that the country becomes among
the first 20 global powers by the end of this decade; that is Vision
20-20:20. Such feat cannot be achieved if the health sector is not
adequately equipped.
Economic implications
“The health and
economic burden of trauma in Nigeria is huge. Up to four percent GDP is
lost to trauma; trauma is a leading contributor to death and disability
in Nigeria, contributing significantly to the low life expectancy in
the country. Adequate trauma care will reverse the trend,” the minister
said.
“Government on its
part has embarked on equipping some trauma centres across the country
that would compare favourably with those in other developed economies,”
the minister added.
Mr Chukwu was represented by Cyril Okeke, Director of Hospital Services in the ministry.
Earlier, Suleiman Giwa, an official of the course provider, said it would focus on operative management of fractures.
He said: “We want
to train our own people on appropriate ways to manage fractures
operatively; we also have a core group of orthopaedics who were also
trained according to international standards.
“They can now undertake the duty of training younger ones on
appropriate measures to take when patients come into their hospitals.”
