Coordinating Minister for Health and Welfare Muhammad Pate said in Abuja on Monday that he will work to stamp out medical tourism in Nigeria.
He gave the assurance in his first meeting with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Kachollom Daju, and the directors upon taking office.
He noted that there was a gap in health outcomes that needed to be improved.
“When you fly from Addis Ababa to New Delhi, you see a lot of people going there for medical tourism and it is not something that we in the health sector should rest and consider normal.
“We should do something about it and improve our health outcomes.
“It is important that we address governance issues to improve health governance.
“The federal government, state and local governments, and other stakeholders will work together, including those who may have different capacities in the construction of health policy and its implementation,” he said.
Mr. Pate said that the existing economic value chain in the health sector should be taken advantage of.
He noted that the role was for the private sector, although the mission was central public.
About social welfare
The minister also said that the agenda for leveraging the economic value chain in the healthcare sector needs to be carefully crafted with each stakeholder as part of the conversation.
He said his team will put Nigerians at the center of policy and implementation to ensure the country’s health indices improve, noting that this is in line with President Bola Tinubu’s mandate of renewed hope and vision.
He said: “There is an important signal in the choice of those assigned to the health portfolio, and we are very excited about that.
“I think that the fact that the president also included Social Welfare in the health portfolio indicates that he also considers the people as a base; the foundational element of what he tries to do managing him.
“This is because the well-being of people is linked to their health; their health and well-being are interconnected from gestation to childhood, from adulthood to old age, and throughout the life cycle.
“We need to grow our economy, but we also need to take care of people and health is a big component of that and I think that’s an important sign.
“The president is the driver and we will follow him and work hard for our driver to take us to the desired destination; the vision that he has of transforming this country,” said the minister.
The minister stressed that the main responsibility of his ministry is to save lives and reduce pain.
“The president realizes that Nigerians are eager to feel the impact of the government so that people feel the difference that his ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda is really beginning to affect people’s lives and we are right where it can be done” , said.
Minister of State speaks
In his remarks, Minister of State for Health Tunji Alausa said he would work with Mr Pate to ensure Nigerians appreciate the impact of health care delivery.
Mr Tunji Alausa
He said; “Our people deserve a basic, comprehensive and internationally acceptable level of healthcare and we will start to think of healthcare as a human rights issue.
“The lack of basic health care for any Nigerian will henceforth be considered a violation of that Nigerian’s human rights.
“We’re going to hold on to the ministry staff to make sure we deliver.”
Permanent Secretary welcomes the ministers
Earlier, Ms. Daju said that the ministry’s statutory role was to ensure the development and implementation of national health policies; collaborate with state and local governments and provide specialized health care services, among others.
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She said; “Everything the Ministry of Health does is guided by the National Health Law (2014).
“The Law actually details the functions of the ministry; emphasizes its role in health policy; allocation of resources and provision of health services,” he said.
Mr Pate, Professor of Public Health, served as Minister of State for Health from July 2011 to July 2013 under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
He was Chief Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency from 2008 to 2011.
Mr. Pate also served as Global Director of Health, Nutrition and Population and Director of the Women, Children and Adolescents Global Financing Facility for the World Bank Group.
President Bola Tinubu swore in Mr. Pate and Mr. Alausa along with 43 others, either as ministers or ministers of state, on Monday in Abuja.
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Let hear it in the comment below if you do have an opinion on this; We will prioritize health security, we will reverse medical tourism