Nigeria has a long history of problems with public funding for health care. Moreover, the country has the highest rate of tuberculosis among other African countries and the third highest rate of HIV infection in the world (Igwe, 2022). In addition, Igwe (2022) emphasizes that poor funding is incapable of fixing the highest infant and maternal mortality rates. The lack of healthcare facilities in overcrowded regions dramatically increases attendance at working clinics. Accordingly, additional funding cuts to St. Monica’s Medical Clinic will have dire consequences in the form of increased operational complexity, decreased efficiency and eventually closure.
First of all, there will be a decline in the provision of drugs, some of which the poor are unable to buy. Thus, because clinics in Nigeria have minimal funding for medications, these will become unaffordable after support is cut (Aregbeshola & Folayan, 2022). In the future, there is the possibility of communications being denied due to the inability to maintain the building costs: water and electricity may be cut off. All of this will make patient care much more complex and may have a negative impact on mortality rates in the region.
With further cuts in funding, staff salaries will fall critically. Consequently, clinic capacity will decline rapidly in proportion to the number of layoffs (Aregbeshola & Folayan, 2022). A similar situation was seen in the Covid-19 pandemic when decreased funding was superimposed on increased treatment demand (Aregbeshola & Folayan, 2022). Thus, a significant decrease in government funding could eventually lead to clinic closures, as has happened in many other regions (Igwe, 2022). Increases in unemployment, morbidity, and mortality rates are difficult to offset by having another hospital at a great distance.
Lack of attention to the healthcare sector can lead to the above consequences for the particular clinic and other healthcare institutions that are still functioning. Concern for the health of citizens must be supported with the necessary level of funding, sufficient to support the sector and expand it. It is especially actual for the appalling rates of maternal and infant mortality – every effort must be made to reduce them. Reducing funding only damages the health of the nation and can lead to decreased efficiency and clinic closure.
References
Aregbeshola, B. S., & Folayan, M. O. (2022). Nigeria’s financing of health care during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Challenges and recommendations. World Medical & Health Policy, 14(1), 195–204. Web.
Igwe, U. (2022). Analysis: Citizens groan amid underfunding of Nigeria’s health sector. Premium Times NG. Web.