The Faculty of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria and the government of Western Nigeria set an example in primary health care delivery 15 years ahead of the World Health Organisation's Alma Ata Declaration on the same subject when they established the Ibarapa Community Health Project in 1963.
1 The programme is based at the Rural Health Centre (now a General Hospital) in Igbo-ora, the largest of the seven towns in rural Ibarapa district.
However, the surgical component of the service became evident only in 1983 (20 years after its inception) when an alumnus of the University took up an appointment in the district.
2, 3 This delay was due to the fact that most specialist doctors in Nigeria were unwilling to serve in rural areas which lack basic infrastructure like water supply, electricity, a good road network, communication and good schools for their children. The situation is compounded if one of the spouses is not a health worker or a teacher, with job opportunities in the rural areas.
The author and his radiographer wife have been resident in Eruwa, the headquarters of Ibarapa district since 1983, initially as employees of the state government at the District Hospital. In 1986 they set up their practice for greater job satisfaction.
