I’m proud to own Nigeria’s first private geriatric hospital –UK-trained physician

Dr Olutoyin Akande-Ajala is a seasoned geriatrician trained in Nigeria and the United Kingdom. She founded JBS Gerontology Centre, Nigeria’s first private geriatric hospital and specialist centre for the elderly. She speaks to VICTORIA EDEME about her life and career journey

You are from a family of professors, how has that shaped your career?

I am the second child and only daughter of my parents, Emeritus Professor Oluwole Akande and Professor Modupe Akande. My father is from Ososo in Edo State. My childhood was great.

For most of my life, I used to think that I had a tough childhood because my mum was a disciplinarian and didn’t let me do all the things I ordinarily would want to, like partying.

My dad, however, was more relaxed but very busy. He is a retired professor of obstetrics and gynaecology, an academic, and an administrator, who became the first provost of the College of Medicine at Ibadan and the first Chief Medical Director of University College Hospital, Ibadan.

Growing up, I was very close to my maternal grandmother, a businesswoman. Most of my fondest childhood memories revolve around my grandmother.

In school, I was very intelligent and always topped my class, though I was also playful and talkative. I grew up with three brothers and this made me a tomboy.

How influential were your parents in your life’s journey?

My parents were extremely influential in charting my life’s course. I was named Olutoyin (God is worthy to be praised) because my dad nearly died two months before I was born.

He had stomach bleeding, and if it wasn’t for someone in the hospital who knew what to do, he would have died.

My life’s journey would have been different if he had died. All my life, I have been known as Professor Akande’s daughter; it became part of my identity. My mum is a role model and has been influential in my life because she brought me up with certain standards and ideals, which still serve me well.

You mostly schooled abroad. Can you take us through your educational journey?

I attended Maryhill Convent School, Ibadan, Oyo State, for my primary education and then went to the International School for my secondary. I then travelled to Canada with my parents and did A-levels at Highland Secondary School in Ontario, Canada.

I returned to Nigeria and got into the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan and graduated in 1991. I had my one-year housemanship at UCH, before moving to the United Kingdom for my residency training in geriatric medicine.

Why geriatric medicine?

I never knew I would major in geriatric medicine when I moved to the UK. When I left Nigeria, there was no such thing as geriatric medicine. I only came across it when I got to the UK.

I knew I wanted to be a physician but did not want to be a surgeon or paediatrician. I wasn’t sure which subspecialty in general internal medicine I wanted to pursue. So when I got to the UK, I decided to begin my career in Wales.

That was when I heard about geriatric medicine. I was curious and applied for the job, which I eventually got.

So my first job in the UK was as a senior house officer in geriatric medicine in Wales. When I was leaving the job after six months, my first consultant, Dr John Morris, told me I was a natural-born geriatrician.

That was the first time someone planted the idea in my mind. After that, I moved on to other specialties in general internal medicine before returning to geriatrics.

It took me two years to finally decide that I truly loved geriatric medicine.

Geriatric patients are like paediatric patients; they don’t fake anything and are just like children. I think being so close to my grandmother also influenced my choice.

She was the closest person to me while growing up and I loved her dearly. The one regret I have as a geriatrician is that I wasn’t able to care for her. I wish she were here now so I could look after her the way I now look after other people’s grandparents and parents.

She was one of the first people I told about my decision, and she was happy. She told me that I would come back and look after her. Sadly, she passed away by the time I finished my training and returned to Nigeria.

How did you move from being a geriatrician to owning Nigeria’s first private geriatric hospital?

This journey started many years ago. During my training in geriatric medicine, I received calls from people I knew whose parents were getting old. They struggled to find people to care for them and manage their illnesses properly.

It was then that the idea of setting up a geriatric healthcare service in Nigeria was planted in my mind.

I started to put pen to paper and made inquiries. This was around 2007, and there was practically nothing in that regard.

Things are much better now. The response at that time was not very positive, and those I believed were meant to support me were not particularly keen on my returning to Nigeria.

So I put it aside until 2017, when a friend reached out to me about her sick mother and asked for my help.

It was then that one of my cousins, Funmi Iyayi, reignited my passion for setting up a geriatric hospital. I asked if she would help me with it, and she agreed.

By 2018, we concluded our research and tried to set things up. Only my cousins, brother, and husband were aware.

I didn’t even tell my parents or anyone else until we were ready. So I launched the service, advertised my services as a consultant geriatrician in Nigeria on social media and sought referrals.

While doing that, I thought I would only get a patient after maybe some months. I remember putting it out on Facebook. I was so scared. That was how I set up JBS Medicare Services.

I thought I knew everything I needed to know about setting up a geriatric health service. It was when I started that I realised I knew nothing. All I knew was how to be a geriatric nurse, but I learned how to run a service on the job.

It wasn’t until 2020 that another relative suggested the idea of owning a hospital. I thought she was kidding because I didn’t know anything about running a hospital. By that time, we were running JBS Medicare Services very successfully and had patients all over Nigeria.

The name of my centre was coined from the names of the three consultants I worked with: Dr John Morris, Professor Robyn Bacon, and Dr Leighton Seal.

How did you run your geriatric services without owning a hospital?

It was a home service. We did patient assessments and managed them at home. I had nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dieticians, and other specialists I needed to run a complete geriatric healthcare service.

However, if I had a patient who needed to be admitted to a hospital, I would call a friend who owned a hospital. I was able to network with other hospitals to get my patients admitted for treatment.

It wasn’t until 2020 that someone suggested I consider owning a hospital. I wondered if I needed a hospital because I thought the service was doing quite well and making an impact.

Owning a hospital wasn’t something on my radar at that time until something else happened. I had a patient who was very ill in Ikorodu during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020.

We couldn’t get a car to reach the person. My doctor had to go on a bike to get there. By the time they arrived, the patient was in a very bad state. I think it was clear to most people that he was going to die.

We managed to get an ambulance, but they went from hospital to hospital, and no one would admit him.

I kept thinking that if I had my hospital, I would have admitted him. He did pass away, and that reinforced what I was told about having my facility.

It was at that point I decided to begin the process of establishing a hospital. However, I couldn’t return to Nigeria for over a year. I came back in 2021 and started planning for a hospital.

What are your thoughts on the place of women in the medical sector?

I would say we’re crucial. My grandfather refused to let my mother go to medical school because he believed that once she went, she wouldn’t get married or have a home.

He told me this himself. When I graduated as a doctor, my grandfather told me my mother wanted to be a doctor.

She was accepted into medical school, but he refused to let her venture into the field. She cried so much back then, but he stood his ground.

Now, things have changed. Women are a dynamic force. We bring a difference to the table. It has been proven, beyond doubt that patients do better when they are looked after by women.

So, we are crucial to the health force worldwide. Women tend to be organised. We tend to be able to collaborate and put egos aside. More often than not, women manage teams and people better.