James Sowole in Abeokuta

Concerned by inability of most patients suffering from the autoimmune disease from accessing the needed care due to its exorbitant cost, a Professor of Rheumatology with Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Segun Oguntona, has called for coverage of National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), to include Rheumatology.

Oguntona equally lamented the dearth of Rheumatologist in the country, saying the country currently has one paediatrician Rheumatologist who completed her training about two years ago.

Oguntona disclosed this while delivering the 122nd Inaugural lecture of the university with the theme: ‘Joint Diseases and Internal Organ Complications: Unmasking Immune Tolerance As The Culprit’.

The lecture, which attracted diverse dignitaries from the OOU and other institutions, was held at the Otunba Gbenga Daniel Multipurpose Hall within the university’s premises.

He described Rheumatology as a disease of the joints and connective tissue including arthritis which usually occur when the antibodies that are to naturally protect the body against foreign attack began to attack the body cells causing the patients great pain and discomfort.

Oguntona said Rheumatology patients could suffer kidney and heart failure, blindness, acute blood shortage, skin deformation, defective lung among others 

He explained further that while the scope of Rheumatology cases seen outside the country are not quite different from the cases seen in Nigeria, the difference, however, lies in the free access to medical care in the developed world.

Oguntona said that the management of most Rheumatology cases is expensive with the use of a group of drugs called biologics.

He disclosed further that “Biologic are the most expensive drugs and they are the lifesaving medications for patients with autoimmune conditions.

“The outcome of most of these diseases is relatively good in the Asian countries compared with what we see in this part of the world because of free medical treatment they enjoy as against patients paying out of pocket in a country like Nigeria.

“People with health insurance coverage could not benefit from these biologics due to the fact that health insurance does not cover them because of their cost. 

“One could imagine a dose of biologic drug costing over half a million, repeat the treatment in two weeks and the drugs are repeated as at when necessary, again. 

“How many people could afford this? Autoimmune disease is not a respecter of social strata/class, as it affects the rich, so also it affects the poor.

“Since funding is the main problem denying our patients with the auto-immune conditions to receive best medical care, I would suggest that the government should also look into this field of medicine and accord it the same priority attached to malaria and communicable diseases like tuberculosis and AIDS. 

“I would also advocate that the National Health Insurance Scheme should cover medications used in these diseases since it is difficult to pay out of pocket by many patients”

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