By Fatima Saka
Senator Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi has raised concerns about the shortage of orthopedic hospitals in Nigeria, emphasizing that the current number is insufficient to meet the growing demand for specialized medical care.
In response to this gap, he has advocated for the passage of a bill to establish the Federal Orthopedic Hospital in Obokun, Osun State. The senator made this appeal during his memorandum presentation at the public hearing of the Senate Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary) on Thursday in Abuja.
Addressing a Critical Healthcare Gap
According to Senator Fadahunsi:
“Permit me to start by saying that the fundamental issue in most critical sectors of our country is the imbalance between demand and supply. When this gap widens, a crisis becomes inevitable.
“This bill was first introduced in the Senate on November 23, 2021, and later amended on October 8, 2024.”
He explained that the proposed orthopedic hospital would provide accessible and efficient medical care for orthopedic patients in Osun and neighboring states, including Oyo, Ogun, Ekiti, Ondo, and Kwara—an area covering approximately 30 million people. Currently, many of these patients must travel 100 to 400 kilometers to the National Orthopedic Hospital in Igbobi, Lagos, which is already overburdened.
Propose of the Hospital
The establishment of the Federal Orthopedic Hospital, Obokun, aims to:
1. Improve Access to Specialized Care: Provide timely and professional orthopedic treatment to residents of Osun and surrounding states.
2. Support Accident Victims: Offer corrective surgeries, particularly for victims of motorcycle and tricycle accidents, reducing reliance on unqualified “bone doctors” who often worsen injuries, leading to amputations.
3. Serve as a Regional Referral Center: Handle orthopedic cases from secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities across neighboring states.
4. Create Employment Opportunities: Generate jobs for orthopedic specialists and related professionals, reducing brain drain in the medical sector.
5. Support Medical Education: Provide clinical training for medical students in the region.
6. Regulate Traditional Bone Treatment: Minimize the prevalence of untrained “native bone doctors” whose practices often lead to complications.
7. Reduce Pressure on Igbobi Hospital: Ease the patient load on the National Orthopedic Hospital, Igbobi, which currently serves over 22 million people in Lagos State alone.
The Case for Urgent Action
Senator Fadahunsi highlighted statistics from the last five years, revealing that orthopedic patients from Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, and Oyo states account for thousands of visits to Igbobi annually:
800 patients from Osun State
400 patients from Ekiti State
700 patients from Ondo State
900 patients from Oyo State
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“It is for this reason and many more that I urge my colleagues to support this bill, which will be a medical and economic blessing to our people and the nation,” the senator stated.
He also assured the Federal Government of Osun State’s willingness to provide land and other logistical support to ensure a smooth establishment of the hospital.
