By Ankeli Emmanuel (In Sokoto State)
Nigeria's Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, on Sunday, commissioned several projects at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto (UDUTH) where he described the hospital as fastest growing one in Nigeria.
Ehanire said during the project commissioning that "Each time I am here, I feel a lot of contentment at the progess been made. UDUTH is one of the fastest growing teaching hospitals in Nigeria. I have no doubt, the project you see here today has increased the capacity to deliver high quality services".
The minister who decried that lack of confidence in our health system was the reason for medical tourism, added however, the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration, since coming to power in 2015, is halting the trend by continuing to invest heavily in the health sector.
While stressing that the Government will continue to provide the tools needed to deliver quality health care services to all Nigerians, Dr Osagie assured that, part of the intervention fund of the Federal Government is to make sure that every hospital has state of the art facilities.
While thanking Nigerians for their collective cooperation towards mitigating the effect of COVID 19, the Minister however appealed for observance of laid down protocols as the pandemic is not over yet. According to him, the target for Nigeria is to have 70 percent of it's citizenry vaccinated against COVID 19 before the Federal Government can authorise the removal of face masks.
"Only 25 percent of the total population are vaccinated with single dose. And 26 percent vaccinated with double dose. That isn't enough, as our target is 70 percent, and we are still very far from there which is why we are yet to authorise the removal of mask
"We were able to control the pandemic with the support of every citizen. Let us have the ambition to collectively carry our health system to be amongst the best in the world"
On the recent Monkey Pox outbreak, the health minister assured that the Federal Government is monitoring the situation. He also assure that the health ministry is doing the needful to reduce industrial disharmony being one of the factors militating against the health sector delivery in this country.
"I want to enjoin all professionals to support our health systems by putting away all acrimony for effective health care delivery. The health sector is a work in constant progress. More and more people are relying on our health instructions in this country. From PHCs to the Tertiary sector.
"We do have the phenomenon of brian drain, but government will do everything we can to improve the remuneration of health workers. Though, the brain drain is global. But I think, those that are trained at tax payers expense should give back to the community" Dr Osagie noted
The minister listed several policies and programmes designed by the government such as knowledge and skills repatriation, procurement, installation, service and disposal or replacement, one General Hospital per Local Government as well as Universal Health Coverage and the National Emergency Medical Care to boost access to medical services by all.
"National Emergency Medical Care is another angle the FG is looking at. This will enable medical personnel reach the patients, give them the needed attention and transport them to the hospital at no cost.
"This initiative will commence next month in Abuja as a pilot scheme. We are working towards putting Nigeria amongst the nation's that can take care of it's people. We want to put our health sectors amongst the best in the world where mortality from all segments are reduced. We can do it. All we need to do is to put our house right". Dr Osagie enthused.
Earlier the Chief Medical Director of UDUTH, Prof Anas Ahmad Sabir, listed the projects to be commissioned to include the nuclear medicine department, brachytherapy centre, cardiothoracic centre, upgraded intensive care unit , multipurpose centre, female students hostel, molecular laboratory, renovated trauma centre, renovated accident and emergency department, as well as hospital road networks.
Others are the female medical ward, incinerator, solar power street lights, renovated medical library, laser treatment equipment, fundus camera, cold centrifuge, C-Arm, Olympus endoscopy machine, neurosurgery equipment and digital X-ray machine, among others.
On his part, Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, represented by the Commissioner of Health, Dr Muhammad Ali Inname, commended UDUTH as the only institution in the State that is responsible for the training of medical personnel.
"Looking at that scenario, our administration came up with many initiatives geared towards improving the health services which made the Tambuwal's administration to build 1,250 bed capacity teaching hospital in the State University to help in training more medical personnel".
In his vote of thanks, Alhaji Umar Abubakar Kigo, the chairman project committee of UDUTH, thanked God Almighty for making the commissioning a reality. NNL.
