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Tag: healthcare

  • Saraki challenges FG to live up to expectation in healthcare service delivery

    Saraki challenges FG to live up to expectation in healthcare service delivery

    …Commissions hospital built by Senator Mohammad in Yobe

    Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, on Saturday urged the Federal Government, States and Local governments to ensure efficiency in all healthcare facilities across the country for the benefit of the masses.

    Saraki, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sanni Onogu, made the call during the commissioning and handing over of an 80-bed hospital built by Senator Hassan Mohammed and donated to the Federal Government in Potiskum, Yobe State.

    The Senate President noted that with the hospital, the residents of Potiskum will no longer need to travel to neighbouring states for treatment.

    In his words: “This is why I was committed to helping Senator Mohammad with getting the support of the Federal Government in the running of this hospital so that its benefits to the people of Potiskum and Yobe at large, are guaranteed and sustained.

    “This is the kind of leaders we find today in the Nigerian Senate; people who are abandoning the practice of yesterday’s politics. It must be strongly lauded that this is a PDP Senator, in an APC led state, donating this edifice to an APC government.

    “The lesson is that what matters is not the political party or the government in power but the love you have for your people and your connection with them. I challenge the Federal Government to ensure that this hospital that has been entrusted to them is adequately taken care of, and is run with the highest level of professionalism and efficiency possible.

    “I implore the Ministry of Health to ensure this Hospital continues to receive priority attention both in management and in resource. I expect that this hospital will be run with the highest degree of efficiency possible; and to the good people of Potiskum, I encourage you to use this hospital and demand efficiency in service from the management,” he said.

    He added that the Senator chose to make a difference in the lives of people in his Senatorial District by building the hospital. “To build such an imposing edifice at a time like this, is not a mean feat,” Saraki said. “To build and then transfer by donation, a hospital of this size and capacity to a different government in power other than his party, freely, for the service of his people is a signature statement of extraordinary leadership,” he said.

    The Senate President said he was moved when Senator Mohammad told him that he preferred to build a befitting hospital than the typical practice of sharing money to constituents. He said that with the hospital, the lives of many children and that of many pregnant women will be saved.

    During a visit by the Senate President to the Palace of the Emir of Fika, Alhaji Aliyu Mohammed Abale, the Emir expressed gratitude to Saraki and his colleagues for making possible the passage of a law creating the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) which he said will help to rebuild and restore the areas ravaged by the Boko Haram insurgency.

    The Emir said his Emirate was a popular commercial centre before the advent of insurgency and sought for the help of all Nigerians to bring back prosperity and normalcy in the area. He thereafter presented a horse to the Senate President as a mark of honour and appreciation.

    The Senate President who thanked the Emir for the gift said from his experience in the banking sector he could attest to the fact that Borno and Yobe States were major trading centres which all banks could not ignore before the outbreak of the crisis and that he was committed to the rebuilding of the area.

    He noted that his interest in bring life back to normalcy in the area made him to quickly intervene to ensure that the Federal Government assumed responsibility for the running of the newly commissioned hospital.

  • FG revitalising 10,000 Primary HealthCare Centres nationwide – Minister

    FG revitalising 10,000 Primary HealthCare Centres nationwide – Minister

    Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole on Wednesday said that the Federal Government has embarked on the revitalisation of 10,000 Primary HealthCare Centres across the country in its bid to expand access to healthcare services.

    Adewole made the remark in a message to the opening of the 48th Annual Conference of Paediatric Association of Nigeria, holding in Kaduna.

    The conference has as its theme “Consolidating child health development in Nigeria through SDGs; Gains and Gaps of the MDGs.”

    The minister, who was represented by Prof. Mohammed Khalid, said that the government would leverage on the paediatricians to tackle life-threatening challenges affecting children across the country.

    He noted that though there were significant improvements in the health indices especially as it affects children, Nigeria still needed to do more in providing succour to children displaced by crisis.

    The minister stressed that “reduction in infant and under-five mortality rates from 91 to 75 and 191 to 89 deaths per 1000 live births respectively from 1990 to 2015 is commendable, though not taking us to the desired targets.”

    He said, however, that it was “a favourable stepping-stone for accelerated progress towards achieving the SDGs.”

    “The timing of this confab is auspicious as the current economic recession in our country may have implications on our match towards the achievement of the SDGs, since economic resources are not only affected by our dwindling income but are also not guaranteed.”

    Adewole, therefore, challenged the participants to come up with recommendations “that could be useful for the resettlement and medical rehabilitation of displaced children and their families.

    “With your counsel, the government is ready to rise to the challenge of providing succour to the displaced families by improving healthcare services and providing educational facilities.”

    Earlier, President of the Paediatrics Association, Dr.Ngozi Ibeziaku urged the federal government to provide free medical services to the most vulnerable under-five in the country.

    She commended the contributions of members for their support to the various child survival interventions across the country.

    Ibeziaku said the association would help in the holistic rehabilitation of Chibok girls and others displaced by various conflicts across the country.

    The president announced Dr Kanu Nkanginieme, a professor of paediatrics at the University of Port Harcourt as the winner of this year’s annual award of the association.

    Also, Kaduna State Deputy Governor, Bala Bantex disclosed that the administration had forwarded a bill for the domestication of the Child Right Act to the state Assembly, to strengthen mechanisms for the protection of children.

    According to him, the state has invested heavily on routine immunisation and in increasing vaccination coverage.

    The deputy governor disclosed that the government was also engaged in strengthening primary health care system and feeding of school children to boost enrolment.

     

  • Aisha Buhari champions ‘Merck More than a Mother’ campaign in Nigeria

    Aisha Buhari, the wife of Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari, is championing Merck More than a Mother campaign in Nigeria, an initiative to break the stigma around infertility and to empower women who suffer infertility.

    Merck More than a Mother was first implemented in Kenya in 2015 followed by Uganda, Cote d’Ivoire, Central African Republic, and Nigeria in 2016.

    The launch, which held in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of the country, Abuja is in partnership with Senate Commission on Health; Ministry of Health; Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, and Future Assured organization.

    The wife of President Buhari who was present at the launch pledged her support and the support of Nigerian Governors’ wives in the implementation of Merck More than a Mother’s activities in Nigeria.

    Aisha Alhassan, Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, who was also present at the launch said “In Nigeria we have been advocating for the end of harmful traditional practices including the stigmatization of women which is prevalent all over the country”.

    “Women have not been coming out openly because they are traumatized. With this campaign we will encourage them to speak out and we pledge our support and collaboration,” the Minister added.

    Isaac Adewole, Nigeria’s Minister of Health, also present, emphasized government readiness to enact policies that will ensure the improvement of fertility healthcare in Nigeria.

    “We are responsible for policy at the Ministry level and this is where we can make a difference in improving access to fertility care in Nigeria. We will work through training institutions we are responsible for to strengthen fertility management by making it a sub-specialty.

    “We will also as a Ministry work with private sector, the Senate and the National Assembly to improve governance and quality of care to provide standards to protect infertile men and women seeking treatment,” the Health Minister stated.

    Earlier, Merck Healthcare Chief Social Officer (CSO), Dr. Rasha Kelej has said “Merck More than a Mother campaign is a great initiative to break the stigma around infertility and to empower an unprivileged category of women in Africa, women who suffer infertility,” stressing that “Infertile women have been neglected, mistreated and discriminated because they cannot bear a child, yet 50% of infertility is due to male factors”.

    “We can together improve access to education, information, awareness, health care and change of mind-set and culture to stop these women’s suffering” the CSO said.

  • Radiologist calls for overhaul of nation’s healthcare system

    A Consultant Radiologist, Prof. Rasheed Arogundade, has called on government at all levels to overhaul the nation’s health institutions for effective healthcare delivery.

    Arogundade, who works with the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, made the call on Monday in an interview in Lagos.

    According to him, health care system in Nigeria needs complete overhauling to function properly for improved healthcare delivery.

    He also decried the inability of many medical teachers to make themselves available to mentor the younger ones on how to become competent specialists.

    “Most trainers spend more time in the private practice to the disadvantage of the trainees, who may subsequently imbibe the negative attitude and lack of empathy.

    “The forum of past presidents of the National Postgraduate Medical College has been unanimous that 60 percent of the cause of failure of the trainees is due to the trainers’ neglect,” the consultant radiologist said.

    Arogundade said that many doctors were facing serious challenges, not only from the other allied health care workers but from the general public.

    “Nowadays, doctors are perceived to manifest some ugly behaviour such as lack of courtesy for the patients, failure to turn up at work on time, high level of absenteeism, failure to conduct proper examination and treat patients on time.

    “There is complete lack of appropriate professional and ethical practices, which are now skewed for personal gains than the patients’ interest,” he said.

    Arogundade called on all leaders in the medical world to be role models to the junior ones so as to enhance optimal productivity.

     

  • Association demands increased funding for healthcare

    The Coalition of Faith-Based Associations in Nasarawa State has called for increased budgetary allocation to the state’s healthcare sector.

    The group said the demand, if granted, would effectively tackle child and family health issues.

    The leader of the Coalition in the state, Hajiya Rakiya Jibril-Ali, made the call on Tuesday during an advocacy visit to the state Commissioner for Health in Lafia.

    Jibril-Ali, who is also the Amirah of the Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN), said that the aim of the visit was to synergies with the state government toward improving healthcare delivery.

    “We want to partner the Nasarawa State Government by appealing for increased budgetary allocation for the health sector and to enact laws that will help improve child and family health.

    “We are focusing mainly in areas of nutrition, routine immunization, family planning and child killer diseases,” she added.

    She said that the group would pay an advocacy visit to Gov. Umaru Al-Makura on the same issue, adding that the support from the governor will facilitate the activities of the group.

    Jibril-Ali said the coalition was ready to always complement government’s effort toward improving healthcare delivery in the state.

    Responding, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Daniel Iya, lauded the initiative of the coalition in addressing issues of child and maternal health.

    Iya, represented by the Permanent Sectary, Dr Hamza Gayam, added that all the issues raised by the group were already being handled by the ministry.

    He said that the state government was working toward increasing budgetary allocation of the health sector to effectively pay attention to areas that were previously neglected.

    The membership of group cuts across FOMWAN, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), among others.

  • Wike flags off N500million Private Hospitals Loan Scheme

    Wike flags off N500million Private Hospitals Loan Scheme

    The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, in order to ensure that more residents of his State have access to quality healthcare, has on Wednesday flagged off the Private Hospitals Loan Scheme.

    According to information emanating from the Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor on Electronic Media, Simeon Nwakaudu, the first batch of the scheme will witness 37 hospitals in the State access N500 million to upgrade their facilities and improve service delivery to the people of the State, adding that while seven of the beneficiaries are non-indigenes, 30 are from Rivers State.

    Flagging off the Private Hospitals Loan Scheme at the Government House in Port Harcourt, Governor Wike urged the private medical practitioners to apply the loans judiciously, assuring the beneficiaries that while the State government will pay the interest on the loans on behalf of them, they are expected to pay the principal sum.

    “This loan is for the private hospitals to improve their facilities. It is not meant for the owners of the hospitals to solve personal problems.

    “Private hospitals are critical to healthcare delivery in the state, hence our decision to create this loan scheme to support their improvement,” Wike said.

    He noted that the beneficiaries of the N500 million loan will form the first batch, pointing out that their successful application of the funds will lead to another batch.

    In his remarks, Rivers State Health Commissioner, Dr Theophilus Odagme lauded the Governor for his investment in the health sector.

    The commissioner said 17 General Hospitals are presently being rehabilitated by the Wike Administration, while majority of the resolutions of the meeting the Governor held with the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) are being implemented.

    The Health Commissioner appealed to the private medical practitioners to pay back the loans, so that others can benefit.

    Representative of the NMA, Dr Ibitoru Korubo, said that the Governor’s intervention will help in reviving the health sector in the state.

    Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Dr Sunny Obele of Sonabel Medical Centre Eleme said that the Private Hospitals Loan Scheme should be emulated by other states and the Federal Government.

    He said that the intervention is relevant because 80 per cent of Nigerians access healthcare through private health facilities.

  • USAID to initiate comprehensive malaria treatment, prevention programme in Plateau

    USAID to initiate comprehensive malaria treatment, prevention programme in Plateau

    The U.S. Agency for International Department (USAID) is to initiate a comprehensive malaria treatment and prevention programme in Plateau.

    A USAID official, Dr Jessica Kahuko, made the disclosure when she led a team of the Department’s officials on a courtesy visit to Gov. Simon Lalong on Tuesday in Jos.

    Kahuko said the programme would be financed with the 75 million U.S. dollars budgetary provisions of the U.S. Government for malaria initiatives in 11 states in Nigeria.

    The team leader said the decision to intervene in the prevention of malaria in the state was informed by alarming statistics that Plateau has one of highest prevalence in the country.

    She added that the team would carry out a need assessment programme to identify gaps in malaria prevention initiatives by the state government.

    She said “75 million dollars has been budgeted for the malaria programme in 11 states of the federation by the U.S. Government.

    “But a memorandum of understanding will be signed between the Agency and Plateau Government before the take-off of the programme”.

    The USAID team leader stated that the likely areas of intervention include provision of malaria kits and drugs for pregnant women.

    Other areas according to her include training of health care workers, distribution of treated mosquito nets and general improvement of the healthcare system, among others.

    In his remarks, Gov. Lalong said his administration was aware of the high rate of malaria infection in the state and was ready to collaborate with stakeholders to control the menace.

    The governor said the state government has a team of professionals willing to work with the USAID team for a collective task of creating a malaria-free society.

    He appreciated the U.S. Agency for its intervention on malaria and HIV in the state.