Posted on: Wed 03-11-2021

COMMUNIQUE OF THE FIRST EVER PRIVATE SECTOR HEALTH DIALOGUE; A PRIVATE SECTOR INTERVENTION INITIATIVE FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE HEALTHCARE DELIVERY SYSTEM OF NIGERIA 

Convener: Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners, (ANPMP) 

Theme: Re-Engineering the Nigerian Healthcare System; the private sector, an enviable partner. 

Date: 12th August, 2021

Venue: African Hall, International Conference Centre, Abuja. 

PREAMBLE: The one day dialogue is the brain child of the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practi-tioners (ANPMP) as part of the CENTENARY celebration of the Association to support the effort of our government to develop and advance our healthcare system for local and global competitiveness. The ANPMP is hundred this year, having been founded in 1921. The EVENT brought together resource persons from the diverse segments of the private sec-tor economy of Nigeria, the organized labour, civil liberties organization, government and government agencies to a one day dialogue at the African Hall of the International Conference Centre, Abuja, to critically evaluate the state of the nation's healthcare system; problems and solutions as a gateway to revive and rejuvenate the sector. As we know, the private sector is the highest consumer of healthcare in Nigeria. It is also the highest provider of healthcare. It occupies the largest space in the healthcare domain of Nigeria. The objective of the dialogue as inspired by the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners is to explore and the exploit the deep wealth of experience of this sector to aid government policy formulation in restructuring and revamping our ailing health system.

The event was an intellectual carnival of sort that assembled great individual and corporate minds from all works of life and a strong government presence. Some of the personalities that graced the occasion included: 

1. Dr. Osagie Ehinare, Hon. Minister for Health (Chief Host of the Event). 
2. Most distinguished Senator Ken Nnamani, GCON, former Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Chairman of the Occasion). 
3. Mr. Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Federal Government of Nigeria ably represented by Dr. Muktar Mohammed (The National Coordinator, Presidential Steering Committee on Covid-19) (Special Guest of Honour). 
4. His Excellency Dr. Kayode Fayemi (The Executive Governor of Ekiti State and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors' Forum) ably represented by Dr. Oyebamiji Filani, the State Commissioner for Health. 
5. The President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Waba. 
6. His Excellency Dr. Chris Ngige, The Minister for Labour and Productivity represented by Dr. John Majokimi.
7. Dr. Aliyu !di Hong (former Minister of State for Health). 
8. Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, former Minister for Health. 
9. Dr. Leo Stan Eke, Chairman/CEO Zinox Technologies. 
10. The Guild of Medical Laboratory Directors. 
11. Venus Medicare HMO and a host of other dignitaries. 

1. THE DEPLORABLE CONDITION OF THE HEALTH SECTOR HIGH-LIGHTED: 

The dialogue QUICKLY DIAGNOSED the deplorable situation of the Nigerian Healthcare System siting poor funding, poor infrastructure, the general decline in manpower in the health sector, the general unconducive economic, social and political environment for investment, insecurity and poor sustenance of development. It decried the general low performance of our health system, the abysmally low health indices and the uncomplimentary state of the health infrastructure. 

2. THE ROLE OF THE PRIVATE HEALTH SECTOR IN NIGERIA X-RAYED:

The different presenters from the diverse backgrounds of the private and public sectors of the economy including the civil liberties organization and the organized labour were not divided in concluding that THE PRIVATE HEALTH SECTOR IS THE UNCELE BRAYED HERO OF OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM AND THE FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE IN THE COUNTRY. Without exception, they called for government and institutional intervention and support for this sector as is the practice in every successful healthcare nation of the world as the necessary stimulant for attaining global best practice and international competitiveness. It noted that the private sector was turned around in India, where it has developed so astronomically that it is one of the highest foreign exchange earners for the country today, attracting patronage from all over the world in what has become MEDICAL TOURISM. 

RESOLUTIONS MADE ATTHE DIALOGUE:

Following an eight hours period of intensive fireworks of intellectual depositions by the presenters, the following resolutions were made: 

1. The health sector should be excluded from the concurrent legislative list, siting it as one of the greatest impediments to the accelerated development of our healthcare delivery system, including the attainment of Universal Health Coverage. 
2. The Abuja declaration of 2015, on budgetary allocation to health, which is the recommendation that a minimum of 15% of the total annual national budget should be allocated to health should be implemented. 
3. The summit recognized the paramount significance of the PRIMARY HEALTHCARE SYSTEM of the country, demanding that topmost priority be deployed in developing and enhancing this level of care as it housed well over 80% of the healthcare needs of Nigerians and addressing it adequately amounted to providing solution to as many Nigerians. Again, it noted that well over 80% of the primary healthcare services rendered to Nigerians is provided by PRIVATE DOCTORS, further underlining the all-important significance of our private health sector. 
4. The National Health Insurance Scheme should be restructured holistically. The National Health Insurance Scheme should be upgraded to a commission with greater powers and influence and capacity to regulate and manage our health insurance industry. 
5. The law establishing our health insurance scheme should be quickly amended and health insurance made compulsory for all Nigerians and residents.
6. As an emergency measure to resuscitate the ailing health sector, a Presidential i ntervention/bailout in the Health sector should be declared. 
7. A National Health Bank to specially manage the peculiar demands of the health sector be established. This will guarantee the much demanded and much needed ease in managing the cost of capital as it will engender low scale single digit loans of reasonable moratorium and long tenor. 
8. Import duties for hospital equipment, medications and consumables should be abolished. 
9. A ban on routine overseas medical treatment for government official should be instituted while a medical monitoring, screening and advisory committee be set up to scrutinize the demand for foreign medical by Nigerians. 
10. Appropriate training conditions and environment for doctors should be developed. Appropriate remuneration and incentive should be guaranteed for our doctors and other healthcare professions. This will generally motivate our health workers, improve performance and grow trust in our local content. It will also discourage medical brain drain and reverse medical tourism from Nigeria to Nigeria.
11. In the spirit of Public Private Partnership (PPP), our Teaching Hospitals should be given a total turn around upgrade and privatized with guaranteed government part equity for efficiency, effectiveness and productivity. 
12. The summit called for the establishment of the healthcare providers' bill of right to provide not only a background for the effective, ethical performance of the providers but their unfettered protection from the social, political and economic hazards of society. 
13. The speakers frowned at the incessant discord and unrest in the health sector leading to frequent avoidable labour disputes and disruption of service delivery and the attendant loss of lives, calling on government to find a lasting solution to the situation. 
14. On brain drain, the summit described it as an avoidable accident waiting to happen if not averted now and one that will lead to the total collapse of our healthcare system. It noted that the gloom in the health sector has grossly eroded trust at home leading to the stampede. 
15. Government should declare an emergency in the health sector, stimulate a health revolution for Nigeria through a mega, all inclusive national summit to fashion out a health agenda drawing acceptance and commitment from each component part to make the health system work. 
16. Espousing the importance of collaboration in the advancement of the healthcare delivery system, the assembly called for the integration of the health sectors of the country remarking that we will inspire a national health revolution in the country by the integration and regulation of complementary and alternative medicine and orthodox medical practice in Nigeria. 
17. The summit called on the government of the day to demonstrate adequate political will in pursuing the far reaching objectives of the healthcare delivery system of Nigeria, reminding it that a nation is always as wealthy as the health of her citizens. 

It called the attention of individual and corporate investors, local and international, to the huge investment opportunities inherent in the Nigerian Healthcare space waiting to be explored. It noted that with our population of over 200 million people, our economic potentials and the fact that health, being a product everybody needs, our health sector remains the most endowed, the richest and the most potentially profitable sector of the economy when given the requisite attention.

It concluded by calling for our business community to invest in the Nigerian private doctors and partner with them to build the outstanding healthcare nation of our pride. 

Signed: 

Amb. Dr. Iyke Odo, MD, DMP

President 

Dr. Ned Okoro, FAGP

Secretary General

Dr. Olumuyiwa Ajanaku, FAGP

Publicity Secretary 

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