Dr. Anumiri Chidozie Pascal, founder of Pandacare, a hailing service for medicine delivery, has vowed not to join his colleagues leaving Nigeria for greener pasture despite the ailing healthcare system back home.

Speaking during a programme on Max FM, Abuja, on Thursday, the medical practitioner said statistics show that over 50 doctors leave Nigeria every week.

This, he said, had caused a lot of challenges to the healthcare system as hospitals are so short staffed.

He said: “I’ve seen hospitals where they now make use of nurses to sit in for doctors, that’s how bad. In hospitals, patients have to wait so long before they can see a doctor, because the patient load is now overwhelming, and patients also have to seek multiple healthcare facilities before they get quality care. That is how bad it is.

“Honestly, the healthcare system needs help. The Nigerian healthcare system is crying for help, and that is how the situation the healthcare system has gone up to, especially the emergency services

“It is very poor. When you’re talking about emergency services in Nigeria, it’s no longer an emergency, because when it takes more than 30 minutes to get the help you need, it’s no longer an emergency.”

Sharing a personal experience of losing a loved one, the doctor said if everyone in position to help leaves Nigeria, how would the much needed help come.

He said his desire to help build a Nigeria where healthcare challenges are less prompted him to establish Pandacare, a telemedicine application.

“Pandacare is a digital healthcare platform that provides emergency ambulance services for clients at any point and anywhere.

“When you think about pandacare, you think about the Bolt for healthcare. Just as easy as you could book a ride, you could gain access to healthcare services. That is what pandacare is all about. We want to make it easy for you to gain access to healthcare services just by clicking a button on your phone,” he said.

On affordability, he said: “Pandacare services are affordable. We are making room for subscription plans for our clients. By virtue of subscribing to our services, at any point in time you need the service, you could gain it.

He said doctors on pandacare will “go through orientation training to make sure these ones are fit to provide the services when due.”

“We have a vetting team to go through their certificates, their recent license. Not just anyone. Recent valid license, not just for doctors only.” (Daily Trust)