Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister for Health & Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate said among the key pillars of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for the the country’s health sector, is saving lives, reducing both physical and financial pain, through affordable and accessing quality healthcare by Nigerians.
Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate also revealed that actionable steps are already in place to improve the health of every Nigerian, irrespective of their backgrounds or financial earnings.
These steps include expanding and upgrading of Teaching Hospitals across geopolitical zones of the country and, provision of critical medical equipments.
Pate, 56, posited that live saving measures and other various performance indices are captured and duly implemented under the Health Sector Strategic Blueprint initiated by the Federal Ministry of Health & Social Welfare.
A statement issued and signed by the Head, Information & PR of the Ministry, Alaba Balogun, said the Minister revealed these while speaking with journalists in Bauchi State, at the end of the 2024 Ministerial Leadership On Performance Management Systems ( PMS) organized by the Ministry.
He said residents of Bauchi State are beginning to feel the impact of the policies implemented by the administration President Tinubu. He said the government has provided a new site for the Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospitals and a newly rated world class diagnostic centre is being built at the current site.
”The VVF centre in Ningi has a program for women who are affected by obstetric fistula , and is being strengthened to serve women from the North – Eastern part of the country from all over Nigeria who are coming here to get served, the statement quoted the Minister.
“In Misau, a new Federal Medical Centre provided; and in Azare, an upgraded Teaching Hospital serving not only Bauchi State but the entirety of the North- East Geopolitical zone. That is, delivering the promise of this President to improve the health of Nigerians”, it added.
On affordability of healthcare, Prof. Pate highlighted the importance of synergy and complimentary efforts of the sub-nationals and local governments in the health sector towards advancing and expanding primary healthcare and health insurance that will make Nigerians afford the care.
”Through health insurance, we have already seen more than 2.4 million Nigerians accessing affordable care from the vulnerable people, to expand health insurance, to expand human resources, with training and employment”, he said.
The Minister explained that unlocking the value chain is integral to the Health Sector Strategic Blueprint initiative, focused on manufacturing locally needed commodities, bed nets, and other essentials of the health care value chain.
He said the Ministry is committed to meet this objective because, jobs will be created for youth in the country, as well as provide services, products that are needed to improve the health of Nigerians.
The 2024 Ministerial Leadership On Performance Management Systems ( PMS) was organized by the Health Ministry for its management staff, Chief Medical Directors of primary, secondary and tertiary health institutions across the country, and CEOs of Agencies.