Dr. John Mabayoje, a Nigerian-born physician practicing in the United States, has called for the adoption of telephone triage systems as a critical adjunct to urgent care centers in Nigeria, describing it as a practical solution to the country’s worsening healthcare shortfall.
Dr. Mabayoje, who spent three years working in telephone triage at SUNY Downstate Long Island College Hospital (LICH), explained that the system—where patients are assessed and guided remotely via phone or digital platforms—proved invaluable in managing urgent cases and reducing overcrowding in emergency rooms.
In a chat with the publisher of Veracity Desk (veracitydesk.com), Emmanuel Ajibulu, Dr. Mabayoje said, “Telephone triage is a very useful tool for treatment and urgent care. In Nigeria, where healthcare infrastructure is collapsing and millions lack access, this model could save lives.”
Nigeria’s Healthcare Crisis
The physician lamented Nigeria’s retrogression in healthcare since the 1960s, noting that once-thriving centers such as Onikan Health Center and Ebutte Meta Health Center have been overshadowed by decades of neglect. He contrasted this with the United States, where urgent care centers have proliferated in the last 15 years, handling nearly 80% of cases that would otherwise burden emergency rooms.
Dr. Mabayoje criticized Nigeria’s postgraduate medical programs for failing to recognize Emergency Medicine as a distinct specialty, unlike in the US where physicians in Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, and Pediatrics can qualify for emergency boards after documented hours and fellowships.
Telemedicine as a Lifeline
He argued that Nigeria’s healthcare system, plagued by brain drain and infrastructural decay, could benefit immensely from telemedicine platforms such as WhatsApp and Signal. According to him, integrating telephone triage with urgent care centers would provide affordable, accessible care to millions who currently face “a crude transactional system where oxygen, drips, and even basic medications are itemized like a bukateria menu.”
“Our healthcare system is wallowing in poverty and failure. Right now, it’s a system where if you have no money, you die. That is unacceptable,” Mabayoje stressed.
Dr. Mabayoje urged the Nigerian government to restructure the Medical and Dental Council into six geopolitical units, allowing regions to license diaspora doctors online at affordable rates comparable to US state licenses ($150–$250). He noted that Nigerian doctors abroad already contribute to healthcare in Ghana through organized monthly missions, and similar initiatives could be replicated at home.
He warned that without reform, Nigeria risks being left behind by global innovations in healthcare delivery.
“Anything that brings more brains on board is better than what we have now. If we don’t sit up, disruptive models like Jeff Bezos did with bookshops will rubbish our medical councils,” he cautioned.
A Call to Action
Dr. Mabayoje’s proposal highlights the urgency of modernizing Nigeria’s healthcare system by embracing telemedicine and diaspora expertise. His vision is clear: telephone triage and urgent care centers must become central pillars of healthcare delivery in Nigeria, ensuring that millions of families are no longer left without access to life-saving treatment.
