THE need for increased private sector funding, endowment programmes and collaborations in the nation’s health sector were stressed by Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, Aare Afe Babalola, Governor Abiola Ajimobi, on Monday, at events to mark the 60th anniversary of University College Hospital, Ibadan.
This, they echoed, in their separate remarks, had become inevitable owing to inadequate government funds to cover for infrastructure deficit over the years.
Speaking at Emeritus Professor Theophilus Ogunlesi hall, Osinbajo noted that in spite of committing about 30 percent of the nation’s budget on infrastructure, the government was still a long way from adequately providing the infrastructure needed by the nation.
He bemoaned the sad state of the nation’s health sector evident in the continued emigration of medical personnel abroad in their quest for better working environment.
Though he said that the federal government was upgrading tertiary health facilities through the Sovereign Wealth Intervention Fund, Osinbajo averred that private sector funding was critical to improving the health sector.
“The sad state of affairs in our health care system has led to dismal levels of professional satisfaction amongst our medical personnel and it is at the root of the alarming brain drain that has depopulated institutions such as this.” “While this should never have happened in the first place, we now have an incredible opportunity to fight hard to win back our best brains and to give emerging generations of our medical personnel and new reason to believe in their country and its possibilities.”
“The first is to create the right conditions at home by investing in infrastructure and vigorously fighting the corruption that underlines most of the decline and rot. We must also a matter of urgency redefine our approach to healthcare delivery, management of healthcare institutions and enabling the private sector a prominent place in our health care delivery system.”
“It is clearer by the day that government alone cannot adequately fund most of its infrastructure commitments. For the first time in almost two decades, we are spending as much as 30 percent of our budget on infrastructure as 2016 capital spent of N1.3 trillion is the highest in the nation’s history yet we are still a long way from adequately healing the massive infrastructure deficit.”
“We have to seek greater private sector funding, a well-resourced endowment programme is one of such private sector funding,” Osinbajo said.
The day also saw Osinbajo commission the Sir Kesington Adebutu Geriatric Rehabilitation Centre, and Turn the sod for the UCH Cancer Centre.
In attendance at the various events were Sir Kesignton Adebutu; Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole; Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state; Governor Rotimi Akeredolu; Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu; Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji;
Co-chairman, African Newspapers of Nigeria Plc, Dr Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosumu; Chief Onikepo Akande.
Similar to Osinbajo’s stance, Afe Babalola called for improved remuneration for doctors to prevent brain drain and depopulation of the nation’s institutions.
This is as Ajimobi noted that institutions must fund themselves and engender contributions by well-meaning Nigerians by setting up foundations and endowments.
Ajimobi had earlier stood, with reverence, to welcome Oba Saliu Adetunji, whom he would be meeting at a public event, for the first time, since the controversies that trailed the coronation of 21 Ibadan Obas in August.
However, guest speaker, Emeritus Professor Theophilus Ogunlesi charged the government to stop underfunding institutions if they were to reach the world-class standard.
Furthermore, he called for community health care system through comprehensive health insurance scheme for all Nigerians.
Ogunlesi also advanced the need for the nation’s health care system to have special provision for the aged, elderly and disabled, through the establishment of geriatric centres.
In the same light, Chief Medical Officer, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Professor Temitope Alonge decried inadequate funding of capital projects by the federal government as well as its attendant inability to appoint house officers.
He prayed for the release of Sovereign Wealth Investment Funds to complement UCH’s public-private finance initiatives in her service arrears.
Chairman of the occasion, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo also decried poor funding and industrial actions as bane of the nation’s health sector.
Represented by Chief Femi Majekodunmi, Obasanjo charged the UCH to live up to its capacities, wondering why no teaching hospital in the country had a cancer Centre.
and then