Senator, Dr Aliyu Abdulahi, representing Niger North and the Deputy Chief Whip of the senate, has assured Nigerians that health practitioners leaving the country will ‘re-japa’ back if they vote Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Abdulahi, who was representing the APC presidential candidate, said this at the Healthcare Transformation coalition (HTC) Symposium with the theme Repositioning the Healthcare Sector: Creating the Pathway to an Effective Health System.
The Senator said that with a “jagaban presidency” Nigerians should expect innovative policies that will turn around the health sector.
He said the APC candidates were high-profile politicians with cognate experience in governance, leadership and positive results in the health sector visible from the states they had govern.
“The vision Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his vice candidate, Shettima, has is to transform the healthcare system into one that is accessible, affordable, and delivers quality services to people irrespective of where they are and whatever their status”.
According to him, “Tinubu will provide the stability the country requires in the health sector and will put in place a system that will provide a pride of place to doctors”.
Speaking in response to the need of the healthcare symposium, he stated that one of the fundamental questions being asked by participants centres on how well available funds are being utilised and how well have we integrated all the support for healthcare coming from different sources.
He added that “using technology to integrate all sources of financing will introduce transparency and accountability in the healthcare sector”.
“If we can take care of the primary healthcare, many health situations will not aggravate to require tertiary health care,” he explained.
Abdulahi said that the APC presidential candidates will build on what the present administration is doing and move the county forward.
Dr Osagie Ehanire, Minister of Health, said that the laudable initiative addressed a work in progress, underpinned by the ongoing Health Sector Reform of the current administration, with a mission to build a resilient and sustainable health system.
Ehanire said that the objective was first of all, Universal Health Coverage that would provide geographic and financial access to healthcare for 95 percent or more residents of Nigeria and offer a basic minimum package of health services to citizens, even in remote and rural areas, without suffering financial hardship.
He said that the second was a commitment to continuous improvement of the quality of healthcare offered at all levels and the third was the creation of a robust and sustainable health.
Mrs Chika Offor, Chairperson, Health Sector Reform Coalition, said that budgeting for health was beyond allocation, stating that the next regime must ensure better implementation, utilization of funds and evaluation to achieve a vibrant sector.
Offor said that funding is a very critical part of reforming the nation’s healthcare system.
According to her, to improve the primary care system, there is a need to develop and implement systems that will enable the private sector to join the reform agenda.
She said that any major challenge bedeviling the health system is the fact that there is a trust deficit and that should be resolved to enhance the rapid reformation of the healthcare sector in the country.
Dr Bulama Garuba, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, (NPHCDA), Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, highlighted that health was created at home and the hospital did the repairs.
Garuba said that the agency had five principles of primary health care – accessibility, public participation, health promotion, appropriate skills and technology and intersectoral cooperation.
Meanwhile, the host, Dr Jide Idris, also the immediate past Commissioner for Health, Lagos State, said that HTC canvassed for the APC flag bearer Mr Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to harmonize sustainable change in the various aspects of the Nigerian healthcare system in the country.
“We’re at a point where the 21st century style of leadership is aptly needed to drive sustainable and unconventional change in the Nigerian healthcare system in terms of policy making, implementation, and sustainability,” he said.
Idris said that it was important that the reins of leadership fell into the most competent hands evidenced by proven track records.
