Minister of State for Health, Dr Tunji Alausa has said that few months from now, Nigerians wouldn’t even think about emigrating to greener pasture because of President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda’s restructuring the economy, including the healthcare sector.
He stated that President Tinubu is passionately committed to restructuring the healthcare sector, attested to by the health budget for 2024 being the highest ever in the sector in the last 20 years.
Dr Alausa, who spoke at the commissioning of the Thompson Abayomi Oshin Physiotherapy Building at the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan (CoMUI), said the restructuring of the healthcare sector is already yielding results, evidenced by better and cleaner hospitals, an improved population health outcome, national health insurance agency to cover more Nigerians and an improved social and national security.
“We’ve done a lot of things since we’ve gotten in the health ministry. You can go to hospitals now. Our facilities are better. They’re cleaner. The way our doctors and hospital staff are attending to people, they’re attending to them in a more respectful way. We’re our doctors accountable. We’re holding our facilities accountable.
“We’re training 120,000 frontline health workers to deliver better, higher-quality care at the primary healthcare level. We’re funding those primary care centres better through a sector-wide approach. We’re aligning and coordinating and directing funds more to our primary care centre, to our national insurance scheme.
“We’ve rejigged our national health insurance agency to cover more Nigerians so that they can begin to get access, comprehensive, adequate health care. You see a lot of pharmaceutical companies coming into our country, even the local pharmaceutical companies are expanding capacity.
“Our infrastructures are getting better. The standard of living in the country is getting better. So the purchasing power will be higher. So people will not have any reason to go out. There’s fulfillment; there’s contentment. There’s happiness in serving your country.”
Chairman of the Thompson Abayomi Oshin Health and Education Foundation, Dr Olusegun Oshin said that the building was a response to the college’s request for support from the family of Dr Thompson Abayomi Oshin for a building that would enhance the development of physiotherapy and moving physiotherapy from a department to a faculty.
Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Kayode Adebowale, represented by deputy vice chancellor Professor Oluyemisi Bamgbose said the multi-storey building when equipped with the latest technology will foster innovation, learning and cutting-edge research and education.
Professor Adebowale said the build was a testament to the enduring legacy of Dr. Oshin and the values he exemplified throughout his illustrious career at the University and also called for more support from government to ensure that UI maintains its position among other institutions.
Provost College of Medicine, Professor Yinka Omigbodun urged for a review of the Federal government policy to ensure physiotherapists can both be lecturer and a clinician in both the hospital and the University to ensure better training of physiotherapists in Nigeria.
In addition, she urged a dedicated income also for the college to increase the number of doctors and other healthcare providers for training.
Pa Thompson Abayomi Oshin, who is now 98-year-old and African’s first physiotherapist said in a response that physiotherapy is now a household name in Nigeria, and its relevance in healthcare delivery is fully established.
“I am happy that my students are now practising all over the world. I also wished that the faculty of physiotherapy to be established in this college in my lifetime,” he added.
