Posted on: Thu 19-09-2024

The Federal Government has urged professional bodies to support the government in achieving the Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate, who made the call when the executives of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), led by its President, Prof Bala Audu paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja, observed that the government is working on expanding access to healthcare for vulnerable groups through the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).

Pate stated that efforts are underway to enhance health infrastructure, expand diagnostics and cancer care facilities, and strengthen primary care in collaboration with state governments.

The minister assured the NMA that the Bola Tinubu administration remains committed to advancing healthcare with a respectful and dignified work environment for the Nigerian health workforce.

He said: “We understand the challenges that remain, and are focused on improving the quality of healthcare services for Nigerians. We appreciate all health workers, who are striving despite the obvious challenges in the country. “However, the challenges are not insurmountable, as long as we keep the interest of Nigerians at heart and approach them constructively.”

Pate said the government has made significant progress in the health sector and highlighted the president’s strategic initiatives aimed at addressing critical challenges, such as increasing training quotas for healthcare pre-service training, streamlining recruitment procedures for health professionals, and implementing policies to retain healthcare workers.

Earlier, NMA President pledged the support of the medical body to the ongoing reforms within the health sector, especially the sector-wide approach aimed at enhancing the quality of healthcare delivery across the country.

He said: “We fully support the president’s Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp), to improving quality healthcare delivery in Nigeria and in providing UHC, with the target of improving our population health indices.”

Audu called for the implementation of healthcare-related policies that are innovative and initiated by the administration such as doubling the carrying capacity for training of the health workforce, National Policy on Healthcare workforce retention, and Health Facility Regulation.

He stated that the NMA is enthusiastic about working with the government, to effectively implement these policies for the betterment of the Nigerian health sector.

“We are convinced that this government is committed to ensuring that every Nigerian receives the best quality healthcare with the patient-centered and respectable without any undue financial hardship,” he said.

Audu also commended the Federal Government for the recent reduction in electricity tariff for public health institutions but appealed to the president to extend the same gesture to private institutions that contribute significantly to healthcare delivery to ease the financial burden on patients and clients.

SOURCE: GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER

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