We Must Reconstruct The Investments Into Our Healthcare System – Boss Mustapha

Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha has come out to say that it is time for Nigeria to take its healthcare seriously now that the coronavirus disease has made it impossible for citizens and leaders to travel abroad for medical attention.

Boss, the Chairman of the Presidential Task Force, recently came out to admit that governments at all levels have failed the citizen in that regard.

According to him, the pandemic has now proven that the state of the country’s healthcare system needs the attention of the leaders because thus far, they have not been committed enough.

He added that our politicians must sit back and reconstruct our investments into the healthcare system for things to improve.

His words, “Primary health systems are exclusively the responsibility of the local government, the secondary health system, that’s where the state comes in. The federal government has responsibility only for the tertiary. But over the years, there has been an abdication of responsibilities, you find the federal government even investing in the primary healthcare system. That’s why we have an agency.

“If you look at the total aggregate of the commitment of the government to health, it might not be 15% but we are near that.

“By the nature of our politics, even at the federal level, you find constituency projects that are primary health clinics. If you are to get the number of primary health clinics we have all over Nigeria, it’s over 10,000, but how many of them are working?

“So, it is a major issue, and that was part of my address yesterday when I spoke to the national assembly. We need to sit back and reconstruct our investments into the healthcare system. The federal government is doing a lot. Right now, there is a provision of 1% from the consolidated revenue fund which goes to the basic health care provision funds. I think it’s domiciled in the primary health care agency for distribution, the different sectors of our health system.

“We are doing good but not as good as we ought to. Investments into our healthcare infrastructure must be looked at, seriously. Right now nobody can go elsewhere to seek medical attention, so probably this is the right moment we have to be reflective and sit back and begin to address these issues. Nobody ever thought you couldn’t go anywhere to seek medical attention. Three months ago if you were told, you would not, it would not happen. But we are all confined here now.”