‘No Bed Space’ - Lasisi Elenu Laments Nigeria’s Failing Healthcare System

 

Image: IG 

Nigerian content creator Lasisi Elenu has made an emotional appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and other state governors over what he described as the poor state of healthcare across the country.

Lasisi said he had been trying to speak publicly about the issue for several months but struggled to put his thoughts together without becoming emotional. According to him, he had recorded the video several times but could not bring himself to publish it because of how deeply the subject affected him.

This time, however, he decided to speak.

At the centre of his concerns is the difficulty many Nigerians face when they need urgent medical attention. Lasisi questioned how a person can arrive at a government hospital in a critical condition and still be turned away simply because there is no bed available.

For him, the problem goes beyond the condition of individual hospitals. He believes it points to a much bigger failure within the country's healthcare system.

He described situations where patients are taken from one hospital to another, sometimes covering long distances and sitting through Lagos traffic while their conditions continue to deteriorate.

Lasisi also drew from his own family experience. He recalled losing his mother in 2022 and said his family had to move her between different federal hospitals while searching for a facility that could admit her.

He explained that getting a bed sometimes required personal connections, with family members calling doctors and other people they knew within the medical system to help secure admission.

The experience, he said, made him realise how frightening it can be for an ordinary Nigerian who does not have access to such connections.

He also questioned the availability of basic medical necessities in public hospitals, mentioning items such as oxygen, blood, medication and beds. His argument was that people should not be losing their lives because something as basic as these resources is unavailable when they need them most.

Another issue he raised was the growing number of Nigerian doctors leaving the country. Lasisi said the migration of medical professionals should concern government officials because it raises questions about the future of healthcare in Nigeria.

He was also critical of the way some patients and relatives are treated in public hospitals, saying the experience can be humiliating and distressing for people who are already dealing with fear, pain and uncertainty.

Lasisi believes government intervention should go beyond renovating existing hospitals or improving their appearance. He called for properly equipped healthcare facilities to be made available in different communities so that people do not have to spend hours travelling across Lagos in search of emergency care.

He said the current situation leaves many Nigerians feeling that getting sick can put their lives at serious risk.

Reflecting on his own experience, Lasisi ended his message with a heartfelt statement:

“I really pray for every Nigerian out there. I pray for your health. I pray you will not have an emergency. I pray you will not have a need to be rushed to the hospital. The Nigerian hospitals have failed too many people. They have failed too many people. They have failed me. They have failed my family.”

His message was ultimately a plea for leaders to treat healthcare as a matter of urgency and ensure that Nigerians can access proper medical attention when they need it most.

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