The need for both government and private sectors in Nigeria to make health care delivery for Nigerians more accessible and affordable has, again been stressed.
Borno State House of Assembly Committee Chairman on Health, Hon. Maina Mustapha Garbu stated this at the end of 63rd National Council On Health Conference held in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State Capital.
The “a-week-long-Conference under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Health drawn more than 600 delegates across the 36 States, FCT in Nigeria and also had in attendance Health Development Partners across the World.
Hon. Garbu who described the conference as an important “eye opener”, observed that most health challenges in Nigeria and other developing countries are caused, among others, by poverty, malnutrition, unhygienic, as a result of environmental and water pollution.
He therefore stated: “Therefore, Government at all levels must strive more at making Health care delivery accessible and affordable to save the lives of downtrodden in the Society, especially during the present situation in Nigeria as a result of skyrocket in the prices of good and services following the removal of fuel subsidy in May this Year.
“It is an understatement to say, things are hard now, hence the need for government and private sectors to collabote in order to tackle health challenges facing the people in the country. Many People are dying as a result of non-life threatening diseases because of their inability to get access to affordable health care service”.
A medical laboratory Scientist fellows of Virology also called for more funds to be allocated by the Federal Government for research works at all levels in the country in order to prevent virus related diseases that can cause panic or destabilise the nation fragile economy.
“The lessons of COVID 19 should be a reminder on the need for Nigerian government and other developing World to know that, there is need for constant and periodical review of our health system to prevent unforseen communicable diseases at all times,” he explained.
Hon. Garbu also lamented the exodus of health practitioners from Nigeria to abroad in search for a better working condition, hence the need to prevent the ugly development inorder to protect our health Institution.
According to him, “Some of the practitioners leaving the country are not doing so because of poor renumeration or allowances but rather taking such hard decision, due to obsolete or non-existence health facilities to aid their services.”
He added that, “Many government hospitals in Nigeria are nothing to write home about while the private ones with modern equipment are too expensive to access for the poor”.
“Therefore, government and private sectors must, as a matter of urgency continue to work together closely to safe the health system in the country.”
He commended President Bola Tinubu’s policies and programmes in the health sector as explained by the Minister of Health, Prof. Ali Pate at the Forum, saying if fully implemented especially in collaboration with State Governments, some of the health challenges facing Nigerians will soon be a thing of the past.
The lawmaker assured his constituency and the people of Borno, of an improved health care delivery, especially through good legislation in that regard.
The politician said, Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum’s transformation stride in health sector in the State has remained a second to none in Nigeria.
He called on other State Governors to borrow a leaf from Prof. Zulum’s style of governance to develop their states, saying Bornu state Governor has changed what governance used to be in the past despite security challenges in the State in terms of infrastructure development across all sectors.
