Prof. Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, and Dr. Tunji Alausa, the Minister of State, have launched a four-point strategy to ensure that the sector provides better healthcare to Nigerians.
Pate stated at a weekend news conference in Abuja that the ministry would increase the performance of health governance in Nigeria while minimizing political influence.
The media conference followed a three-day ministerial briefing organized by the ministry on the realities in the health and social welfare sectors.
The purpose of the gathering was to create a model for Nigeria’s healthcare system.
According to Pate, there is a lot of room for improvement in Nigerians’ access to good medical care.
The federal government, ministries, departments, and agencies, as well as the state governments, have a lot of responsibilities to deliver to the people.
“We will improve the quality of governance and leadership in hospitals.
“We will appraise the leadership of tertiary hospitals and the teaching hospitals. We will strengthen the regulatory capacity of our institutions like NAFDAC,” he said.
Pate, who stated that the ministry would collaborate with state governments to improve regulatory functions at the supply chain level, also stated that inclusiveness must be strengthened.
He stated that the sector could be the foundation for reuniting the country because it was a topic that all Nigerians were interested in.
The minister stated that the second area of concentration would be on improving medical care in the country, with diseases such as diphtheria, measles, vaccine-preventable diseases, and maternal and child medical welfare being prioritized.
However, he stated that altering the narrative required the participation of all Nigerians and was not only the responsibility of the government or healthcare experts.
So how do we change that? It’s all of us collectively—families, communities, medical workers, and political leaders—who will do that. So, we have decided that, in fact, we will make maternal deaths reportable. Make it visible,” he added.
Pate went on to say that Nigeria should prioritize health-care investment.
