Why Do We Spend Half Our Day at the Hospital for a 10-Minute Visit?

Nigeria has about one doctor for every 2,500 patients, far above the WHO’s recommendation of one per 1,000. Our hospitals simply weren’t built for this demand. Many of us wake up early, queue for hours, see the doctor for only minutes, and then go home. Yet a large share of visits—follow-ups, prescription renewals, results reviews and routine check-ins—don’t require physical presence. Telemedicine has been legal in Nigeria since 2020 and most people have smartphones. Remote consultations could free up doctors for hands-on cases and save patients hours of waiting. Why are our waiting rooms still full? I’d love to hear your experiences or any workarounds, especially from healthcare professionals.

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