A professor of public health and community medicine at the Ekiti State University(EKSU), Ado-Ekiti, Olusegun Bamidele has called on government at all levels not to neglect the categories of workers in the informal sector in the series of their healthcare programmes.
The don, who underscored the importance of artisans and others in the sector to the development of the economy, noted that adequate and quality healthcare should be extended to them, explaining that they might not have the financial wherewithal to afford the increasing high cost of medical services.
Professor Bamidele who stated this while delivering the 57th inaugural lecture of the university titled, “Occupational Health Services – The Dilemma of the Unsung and Neglected Informal Sector Workers” explained that the workers in the informal sector are more exposed to stress and hazard in the course of their work than their counterparts in the formal sector,
According to him, these informal workers live in the extreme poverty and could not afford to leave their work in pursuing of medical services, adding that government should take into cognisance their plights when planning and formulating policies in the health sector.
He said: “Over 700 million informal workers live in extreme poverty and often cannot bear the financial and opportunity cost of receiving health services and losing a day’s work. The informal sector workers face greater job insecurity and stress than workers who are formally employed and they have no access to affordable quality healthcare.
“A major reason for early easing of the lock-down in 2020 was in government’s succumbing to the cries and agony of the informal sector workers who could not cope economically and financially to take care of their family members.
“I put it to this audience that in most cases the informal sector workers are the ones that make things happen though they are relatively paid peanuts for the services they render. The Nigerian informal sector is a major contributor to the Nigerian economy, accounting for a significant portion of employment and national Gross Domestic Product.”
On what government should do, Professor Bamidele, the provost of College of Medicine of the university recommended that, “these neglected informal sector workers should be included through their various trade unions in the discussion of occupational health problems, planning and organising strategies for control and prevention of the hazards they are constantly exposed to.”
To secure and improve the security of life of health workers in the communities, he suggested that, “government at all levels should increase political commitment to secure access to areas not easily accessible due to security concerns.”
The vice chancellor of the university, Professor Edward Olanipekun, the commended the inaugural lecturer for his in-depth knowledge on the challenges facing the workers in the informal sector and proffering solutions to the problems.”
Olanipekun however stated that not only those in the informal sectors were facing difficulties in accessing quality and affordable healthcare services but every other member of the society.
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