“We used phone torch to do surgery, used cloth hangers to set drips” — Waka Waka Doctor recounts harsh realities Nigerian doctors face
UK-based Nigerian doctor and healthcare content creator, Waka Waka Doctor, has spoken out about the harsh realities doctors face in Nigeria.
Speaking on the Jay on Air podcast, he recounted how poor hospital infrastructure often forces medical workers to improvise with basic materials to save lives.
He criticized the government’s response to the ongoing medical brain drain, saying authorities focus more on restricting migration than addressing the root causes driving doctors away.
According to him, Nigeria’s health sector remains trapped in a “vicious cycle of neglect and decay.”
He said;
“We were using hanger guards, the ones people use to hang clothes, to set drips because there was no drip stand. And we used phone torchlight to do surgery. You put your phone in your mouth to operate because there was no power. Someone comes in with a gunshot wound or a tear, and you just have to find a way. You can’t let the person die.”
“When nurses started leaving, the solution wasn’t to make their lives better, it was to stop giving them licenses. What you should be asking is, how can we pay them better? How can we improve the facilities?”
“We never learn from mistakes. Politicians look after their tummy first. Hospitals are still in terrible condition. It’s sad to see that what we faced a decade ago still exists today.”
