Inspiring Story Of The Nigerian Woman Who Became The Youngest Qualified Doctor In UK At 21

Her name is Ola Orekunrin and she is 26 years old, but she has done so much with her life that you'll wonder if she is actually just 26 now. Hers is synonymous with innovation, success and excellence. She isn't the kind of doctor you'll find in a regular hospital though, she is the CEO of The Flying doctors, Nigeria's first air ambulance, in fact, it's the first of it's kind in the whole of West Africa!

It started with a resignation from a high-flying job in England, and relocation to Nigeria. Dr Ola was determined to make a difference in medical practice. Her journey to setting up such a capital intensive and delicate business was prompted by a death — her younger sister who died of sickle cell anaemia.

According to Ola, “She was always in and out of hospitals but eventually died for lack of the availability of air ambulance. This more or less propelled my interest in medicine because I really wanted to make a difference in the same way doctors had done to her. Setting up the company was a direct result of my fascination for helicopters, trauma medicine, motor accident kinematics and pre-hospital medicine. I knew it was something that I had the skills and experience to do,” 

The flying doctors eventually came to fruition about two years ago and it basically provides critical care transportation solutions to both the private and public sector by selling yearly air ambulance cover plans to states, companies and individuals. She says of the company: 

“The first time an air ambulance service was suggested for Nigeria was in 1960 and nothing was done about that idea. Having studied the models in Kenya, Libya, Uganda and India, coupled with my growing passion to help improve the health care system in Nigeria, which I believe is poor, I became even more determined to bring a similar service to Nigeria.

“We are completely physician-led and adhere to the highest standards of medical practice supported by the East Anglian Air Ambulance in the United Kingdom. Our mission is simple— to provide the best possible standard of health care to all.”

“What I do hope is that more states will take up cover as well as making it increasingly available to the common man. I know that as Nigeria starts to take health care reform more seriously, this will begin to happen.”

But for Ola, the road to success wan't paved and flowered, it was rough and full of potholes. She recalls:

“I quit my job, said goodbye to my political aspirations for the position of the president of the British Medical Association and minister for the conservative party, I sold my car and my house, and bought my one way ticket to Lagos. I was rejected more times than I can remember. 

“Sometimes I would spend hours waiting in an office only to be told to come back the next day and then be turned down.

“One time, on my way to Ondo State, I was robbed of all I had and was told by my companion, who was travelling with me, not to speak or else my accent would give me away and be the basis for my kidnap. Even in the face of difficultly, I was able to get some funding in addition to what I had saved up.

“In all of these, I was able to learn a great lesson— when you need something, people tend to avoid you but when you don’t need anything and seem to be making profit, they tend to become your best friend. The attitude towards me has changed immensely.”

“I really do love Africa and Nigeria in particular because it is my identity. I have since realised that the earlier I re-integrate myself back to my roots, the better for me. I grew up in all-white environment and went to an all-white university. To be honest, until I moved back to Lagos, I never ever thought that Nigerians were capable of doing or achieving anything on their own.”

“I grew up in a seaside town called Lowestoft in the east of rural England, a completely white community. I went to a primary school run by Catholic nuns and was raised by foster white parents. We didn’t have much money even though it was a working class family and we sometimes struggled to make ends meet. Against all odds, I passed my A-Levels with flying colours, started my degree at the University of York at 15. I supported myself all through, working. I wrote my final medical examinations at 21, thus emerging the youngest medical doctor in England.”

Dr Ola Orekunrin's story is a reminder that you can be the first to start doing positive things that have not been done in the society before and succeed at it, after all, someone has to start something, why not you?