The Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Mohammadu Sa’ad Abubakar has lamented the parlous state of primary healthcare delivery in Nigeria and posited that the government at different levels can use it to reduce medical tourism if given proper attention.
The Sultan of Sokoto stated this in his opening remarks on Thursday at the Policy Dialogue with the theme: “Funding Universal Healthcare Delivery In Nigeria: Integrating The Perspective of Traditional and Religious Institutions” organised by the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru Plateau State.
According to him, for primary healthcare to make impact and succeed in Nigeria both the religious and traditional leaders should be allowed to make input and be carried along adding that they were close to the grassroots and can easily mobilize their subjects for full participation and as well give the government useful advice on how to address myriad of health challenges confronting their subjects.
“Both the traditional rulers and religious leaders should be carried along, they are closer to the people and the first point of call whenever their subjects are facing any health challenges. This did not need concession and doesn’t require arms, religious leaders and traditional rulers are in the best positioned all-over the world to solve most the problems associated with healthcare delivery.
” Primary healthcare can also be used to reduce medical tourism because if adequate attention is giving to healthcare at the grassroots and community leaders are allowed for input. Primary healthcare is very important to the Nigerian communities. We should encourage the government to set up real healthcare centres, this will reduce medical tourism” he said.
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The Sultan of Sokoto who lamented the lack of proper funding of primary health care in Nigeria said the policy dialogue was timely and apt because traditional and religious leaders were the representatives of the people who can speak on burning issues on their behalf when the need arises.
He added that primary health care is the foundation of health care delivery system in Nigeria as most Nigerians lost their lives as a result health-related issue at the grassroots and tasked the government to implement the recommendations from the policy dialogue.
Also, the Olu of Warri His Majesty Ogiame Ikenwoli tasked the participants of the Senior Executive Course SEC. 41 of the institute not to limit their research work to only visiting the cities alone, stressing that they should find time to spend a week with the rural people who suffer most and hear their plight as regard to accessing primary health care service in their locality.
Participants at the Policy Dialogue include Gbong Gwom of Jos, Da Jacob Gyang Buba, Emir of Shonga Dr Haliru Yahaya, Emir of Uba Alhaji Ali Ismail Mamsa, President of CAN Reverend Olasupo Ayokunle, Secretary-General of JNI Dr Khalid Abubakar Aliyu among others.
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