As part of advocacy to create platforms that will bridge the gap in demand for physical rehabilitation centres to boost healthcare in Nigeria especially for the aged and vulnerable, a medical practitioner, Dr. Olaolu Odemuyiwa has led the charge in creating such a platform. This is one step that has been described as a monumental leap in the Nigerian healthcare sector.
Dr Odemuyiwa officially inaugurated the nation’s first-ever post-hospital care facility, Caring Habitat, in Lagos, to cater to patients who are “too sick to go home but too well to remain in the hospital,” thus revolutionising the continuum of care in Nigeria.
Speaking on the importance of the platform, a state-of-the-art 40-room skilled nursing and rehabilitation centre, he said: “Our mission is to transition individuals from dependent to independent living in the shortest possible time, empowering them to reclaim their lives,” he declared. Caring Habitat’s comprehensive services include physical rehabilitation for stroke, catastrophic illness, post-operative recovery, frailty, debility, and arthritis, as well as expert management of chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, chronic pain and dementia.”
Also, speaking on why he felt the need to the country to fill the perceived vacuum after 30 years of practice in the United States, he stated that it is time for experts to come back home to build the country, adding that the urgent need for more rehabilitation hospitals cannot be overemphasized.
He urged state governments to establish facilities within their states and called on the Federal Government to establish at least one in each geopolitical zone, adding that the pioneering facility is poised to transform Nigeria’s healthcare landscape, offering new hope to patients and families nationwide.
According to him, Nigeria needs Caring Habitat because it is a purpose built in-patient rehabilitation center. We are a population of over 200 million people and therefore we need more centers that can help to transition people from dependent to independent living,” he said, adding that he was inspired by the extent and gravity of the need in the society. He stated that “we have one of the highest incidences of stroke in the world and correspondingly a very high mortality from it. These are scary statistics when you look at the numbers. We want to change this narrative and also get people back into the workforce after a catastrophic or debilitating illness. In addition to this no one will build Nigeria but Nigerians.
“Caring Habitat is the first purpose built in patient physical rehabilitation hospital of this magnitude in Lagos whose time has come to address the enormous need out there.”
Speaking on the development, Mrs. Kemi Ogunyemi, the Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Health, commended the facility for bridging Nigeria’s healthcare infrastructure gap. She commended the management and staff of Caring Habitat, saying that the facility represents a significant stride towards bridging the gap in healthcare infrastructure and expertise not only in Lagos State but Nigeria. Mr. Tokunbo Talabi, Secretary to Ogun State Government said Caring Habitat came at a time when Nigerians yearned for better health care services. He added that the partnership between the government and the private sector in health would ensure that Nigeria has a very healthy and productive population able to drive the economy to prosperity.
On her part, Abike Dabiri-Erewa urged Nigerians in the Diaspora to emulate the good gesture of the Chief Medical Director of Caring Habitat and return home to help build Nigeria not only in the health sector but all other sectors that can help the country achieve inclusive growth and economic prosperity.
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