The University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Oyo state, is the first teaching hospital in Nigeria, and it lacks a basic diagnostic machine: the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine. This has put a strain on patients who require proper diagnosis and treatment.
Being a radiologist, one would expect getting an MRI investigation done to be a walk in the park. This is not the case for Ademola Joseph, a 37-year-old radiologist and father of two.
Joseph has a towering figure but is now slightly bending due to his knee injury during a football match last August. He walks with an uncomfortable limp, making occasional grimaces. He was visibly in pain as he interacted with the reporter.
“After the injury, my doctor recommended an MRI investigation before he could start treatment. The test is important for him to see clearly what might have gone wrong there,” he said, pointing to the affected knee.
After the injury, his work and personal engagements suffered remarkably, just like his knee.
“The MRI machine in this hospital (UCH) has been out of use for several years; so, the only alternative I have is to get the test done in a private facility. But it is so expensive that it would require me to take a loan. Before now, it was a matter of simply walking in and having the test done at UCH,” he said.
