LAGOS, AUGUST 30, 2016 – The former Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, on Tuesday tasked governments and stakeholders in the health sector to pool their resources toward strengthening the country’s health system ,especially, at the primary healthcare level.Chukwu said in Lagos that the sector had now witnessed significant improvements from what it was in the pre-colonial era.
However, there was still room for improvements since it had continued to experience deficiencies in its development, he said
“Many people cannot access good healthcare, especially, at the grassroots level.
“Drugs are very expensive and not within the reach of the common man.
“That has forced them to patronize `hospitals, health centres and chemists’ established by quacks,’’ he said
Chukwu said the public would be able to enjoy healthcare facilities with the strengthening of the PHCs with personnel and drugs.
Chukwu, who served under the former President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration, said the dearth of qualified personnel was another challenge facing the health sector.
“We need to produce enough health personnel to boost health care system in Nigeria.
“Both the Federal and state governments need to focus on helping to build the capacity of the health workers in the country.
“Medical researchers need to come up with findings that will help to improve the nation’s healthcare sector.
“The healthcare system in Nigeria also needs experts to brace up to the emerging challenges in the system,” he said.
He said that the outbreaks of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), Lassa fever and the recent development in the polity had emphasised the need for government and other stakeholders to prioritise research in the country.
“Nigeria has been endemic with Lassa fever since 2014 which made us experience high mortality rate in recent times.
He advised both the Federal and state ministries of health to improve on their services and intensify their constant surveillance on disease control in the country.
They could achieve this by making findings from their researches and reports from their surveillance public weekly, monthly or quarterly, he said
He said the epidemiologists under Federal Ministry of Health were always briefing him on the state of public health in the country on weekly basis when he was the Minister of Health.
Chukwu also said that the communities, local and state governments had a major role to play in stopping the latest polio outbreak
The former minister commended efforts adopted by both the Federal and state governments to wipe out polio from some parts of the country.
He urged them to put in more efforts that would end the disease, especially, in the North-East part of the country.
Chukwu also advised the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) to screen intending passengers and those that would be arriving the country for Zika Virus.
“Zika can be passed from a pregnant woman to her fetus. Infection during pregnancy can cause certain birth defects, “Chukwu said.
He urged governments at all levels to improve health safety in maternity homes and in the nurseries to avoid the spread of Zika virus.
Chukwu said that he was certain that the current Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, was capable of bringing positive change to healthcare system in the country.
