Hospitals in Nigeria face a multitude of challenges, many of which are exacerbated by ongoing financial pressures. Managing healthcare costs remains a critical issue, and margins are persistently negative. The end of COVID-19 relief funds, coupled with staffing shortages, supply chain disruptions, and rising inflation, suggests that the financial strains from the pandemic will continue to affect the healthcare sector for years to come. Nonetheless, addressing key challenges can help hospital executives control costs and improve care quality.

Key Challenges Facing Hospitals in Nigeria

1. Lack of Interoperability

In Nigeria, many healthcare facilities still rely on outdated methods for exchanging medical information. Even hospitals with modern Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems may struggle with interoperability issues. EHRs often cannot seamlessly share data across different systems, leading to ‘siloed’ information. Critical patient data might be missing from the EHR, not properly interpreted, or not fully integrated with clinical decision support tools. Enhancing interoperability is essential for effective clinical decision-making and improving overall care.

2. Optimizing Clinical Workflows

Access to actionable information at the point of care is crucial for clinicians and staff. However, many Nigerian hospitals face challenges with inefficient workflows, which can result in incomplete information, alert fatigue, and delays. Issues such as slow EHR system loading times contribute to clinician dissatisfaction and can impact retention. Optimizing EHRs and other integrated technologies to streamline workflows and maximize clinician productivity is key to improving efficiency and care delivery.

3. Personnel Shortages and Burnout

Staffing shortages are a significant concern in Nigerian healthcare systems. These shortages have become increasingly pronounced, often overshadowing other financial challenges. Addressing staffing issues and mitigating burnout is crucial for maintaining operational stability and ensuring high-quality patient care.

4. Keeping Up with Advances in Medical Science

The rapid advancement in fields such as digital medicine, gene therapy, and mRNA research presents a challenge for Nigerian hospitals. Staying current with these innovations, alongside evidence-based practices, can be difficult. Health system leaders must continuously evaluate new advancements and perform cost-benefit analyses to determine their applicability and value in the Nigerian healthcare context.

5. Advancing Health Equity

Addressing disparities faced by marginalized populations, including those related to socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and gender, is increasingly important in Nigeria. These disparities can be embedded in clinical practices and materials, affecting patient care and outcomes. For example, ethnic biases can influence clinical decisions and documentation. Hospital executives must work towards creating equitable care practices and addressing biases to ensure fair treatment for all patients.

6. Ensuring Patient Safety

Patient safety remains a major concern, with issues such as medication errors, diagnostic mistakes, and surgical complications being prevalent. Hospital-acquired infections, in particular, are a significant burden on Nigerian healthcare systems. Implementing robust safety protocols and continuously improving practices are essential for enhancing patient safety and care quality.

By tackling these challenges, Nigerian hospital leaders can work towards improving both the efficiency and quality of care, while also addressing the financial and systemic pressures impacting the healthcare sector.

ProLocums is here to support all medical facilities with the provision of Dare to Care Professionals.