The Federal Government has declared a state of emergency in Nigeria’s health sector.
This is being highlighted as stakeholders across the sector converge in Ekiti State for the 64th National Council on Health where salient issues around the health sector are up for discussion.
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The opening ceremony on Thursday was an avenue to set the tone around the theme, which focuses on building resilience and an inclusive healthcare system for a healthy Nigeria.
The Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Muhammed Ali Pate, said the nation’s health facilities are in bad shape, adding that there is a need for an urgent intervention.
In his remarks, the governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, said the state received with great excitement the offer to host the 64th National Council on Health and the prospect of having all the distinguished delegates from across the nation, including international stakeholders in health policy development, in the state for this agenda-setting council meeting.
He said the state has tremendous achievements to showcase in the health sector over the past few years.
The House of Representatives had last month called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the sector and allocate significant votes to it in the 2024 budget.
The call was a sequel to a motion by Lagos lawmaker Fayinka Oluwatoyin (APC) during a plenary session in Abuja.
In the motion captioned “Need for the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency to collaborate with relevant health agencies in states and local Governments to ensure the functionality of Primary Healthcare Centres,” the lawmaker representing Mushin Federal Constituency II of Lagos State said Nigeria’s health facilities are dilapidating at a fast rate.
According to him, the shortage of personnel, medical equipment, drugs, and qualified personnel, among others, has led to a hike in the death toll in health facilities in the country.