The Minister of State for Health, Osagie Ehanire has disclosed that the Federal Government was determined to revamp 10, 000 Primary Health Care (PHC) Centres across the nation.
Ehanire stated that the decision was taken in order to meet the healthcare needs of rural dwellers. He also explained that every political ward in the 774 local council areas would have a centre, with a view to reducing maternal and infant mortality.
According to him, the idea is also to ensure that there is no over stretching of facilities and manpower at the secondary and tertiary health institutions in the country.
He said each of the 36 states would get the sum of $1.5 million to drive the revitalisation, stressing, a total of $500 million has been borrowed to boost the healthcare delivery in the country. He further urged doctors and other healthcare workers to show commitment to growth, while lamenting the incessant strikes in the health sector.
“There must be enough commitment to develop the health sector. All the problems about utilities are largely due to management challenges,” he said.
He said the need for total commitment is reinforced by the fact that, doctors do not run hospitals only. They need the support of nurses, other health professionals and managers.
The minister denounced the increase in what he described as medical tourism, stating that industrial disharmony and unhealthy rivalry among healthcare professionals are inimical to growth and development. He appealed to members of the NMA to consider the lives of their patients first before going on strike.
“The matter of strike should be laid aside to allow Federal Government dialogue with the doctors and other health stakeholders,” he said.
Chairman, Edo State NMA, Prof. Afekhide Omoti, said the medical journal is the first ever by the state chapter, to serve the purpose of encouraging scientific research and publication of discoveries in medical practice.
