The Nigerian government has assured its citizens of improved access to affordable healthcare service delivery. The government also said its aim of making dialysis care more affordable is yielding the desired results.
The country’s Minister of State, for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako revealed these at the unveiling of an ultramodern clinical service building and ward extension complex at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Jabi, Abuja, the Nigerian capital.
According to him, the government last year began an initiative to bring down the cost of dialysis by about 80% in 10 selected federal tertiary health Institutions across the 6 geopolitical zones of the country.
The Minister also stated that the commitment of the present administration to invest heavily in the health sector is a proof of the government’s determination to reverse the direction of medical tourism.
A well-equipped 64 bedded facility and a new ultra modern clinical services building and a renal unit with 18 hemodialysis beds were commissioned.
“With these additions, the tertiary health care system in our country is strengthened and the need to travel outside the country for some critical care service like kidney transplantation is being addressed”; Dr. Salako said in his keynote address.
“The Federal Medical Centre, Jabi is now a good candidate to join the implementation of this initiative”, he enumerated.
The Medical Director, FMC, Prof. Saad Ahmed affirmed that aside delivering quality healthcare, the centre also serves as a training tool for doctors, nurses, laboratory scientists, physiotherapists and medical students from Baze University, Abuja.