The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, has said that the great benefits of voting for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed, and the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates will ensure a firm assurance of continuity of health transformation programmes, with no hiccups, stressing that the country would not be taken backwards to begin all over again.
Ehanire said this in his welcome address in Abuja at the Healthcare Transformation coalition (HTC) Symposium with the theme Repositioning The Healthcare Sector: Creating the Pathway to an Effective Health System.
Ehanire, while speaking further, said it was time again in the political cycle of nations when citizens were called upon to elect their leaders and representatives for the next four years.
According to Ehanire: “Our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), has fairly and squarely chosen standard bearers for the upcoming election, in primaries that brought Bola Ahmed Tinubu and running mate Shetima to the fore.
“The candidates were high-profile politicians with cognate experience in governance and leadership.
“With the great respect we have for our party and the people’s choices and wishes, we must throw our weight behind our candidates, who emerged from a transparent and democratic primary process.
“But that phase was only the preamble to the actual election battle we faced against formidable opponents and for which we are called upon to join hands in reaching out to convince voters that APC and the illustrious candidates are the right choices for them to make,” he said.
Ehanire further charged the members and leaders of APC to design and present to the public the agenda crafted for them to the candidates to execute
“It is our responsibility as members and leaders of thought of the party, to design and present to the public, the agenda we have crafted for them, which they can trust our candidates to faithfully execute and build upon.
“The other advantage is that our country will be in the most assured of hands among all contestants. The APC administration agenda is what we will be dwelling on in today’s symposium.
“We know healthcare as the cornerstone of Human Capital Development; it is, therefore, fit and proper to devote this prime time to it,” he explained.
Ehanire also said that the laudable initiative addressed a work in progress, underpinned by the ongoing Health Sector Reform of the current administration, with a mission to build a resilient and sustainable health system.
“The objective was first of all, Universal Health Coverage that would provide geographic and financial access to healthcare for 95 per cent or more residents of Nigeria and offer a basic minimum package of health services to citizens, even in remote and rural areas, without suffering financial hardship.
“The second was a commitment to continuous improvement of the quality of healthcare offered at all levels and the third was the creation of a robust and sustainable health,” Ehanire added.
Also, Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate who represented the presidential candidate of APC, Senator Aliyu Abdullahi said with Bola Ahmed Tinubu Presidency, Nigerians should expect innovative policies that will turn around the health sector.
He said: “As much as you say the budget is low. There is a fundamental question being asked to this very symposium, how well are they utilised? And how well have you integrated all the support for healthcare coming from different sources?
“I feel that is why one of the panellists was talking about using technology to integrate all sources of financing so that transparency and accountability are introduced.
“I believe the trajectories of Senators Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shetima have shown that they are capable of making resources be efficiently utilised.
“So, one thing I will guarantee is that there will be proper utilisation, integration of all resources so, that they are all focusing on a common vision because these are people who believe what drives productivity programmes, policies of the government should be efficient, and I believe, for the manifesto, the candidates have a vision of a form of healthcare delivery system in Nigeria was major highlights.
The Chairperson of the Health Sector Reform Coalition, Chika Offor, said that budgeting for health was beyond allocation, stating that the next regime must ensure better implementation, utilisation of funds and evaluation to achieve a vibrant sector.
Offor said that funding is a very critical part of reforming the nation’s healthcare system.
“To improve the primary care system, there is a need to develop and implement systems that will enable the private sector to join the reform agenda”.
She said that any major challenge bedevilling the health system is the fact that there is a trust deficit and that should be resolved to enhance the rapid reformation of the healthcare sector in the country.
The National Primary Health Care Development Agency, (NPHCDA), Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Dr Bulama Garuba highlighted that health was created at home and the hospital did the repairs.
Garuba said that the agency had five principles of primary healthcare accessibility, public participation, health promotion, appropriate skills and technology and intersectoral cooperation adding that the goal of nursing practice was to improve the health of clients.
Meanwhile, the host, Dr Jide Idris, also the former Commissioner of Health in Lagos State, said that HTC canvassed for the APC flag bearer Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to harmonise sustainable change in the various aspects of the Nigerian healthcare system in the country.
“We’re at a point where the 21st-century style of leadership is aptly needed to drive sustainable and unconventional change in the Nigerian healthcare system in terms of policy making, implementation, and sustainability,” he said.
Idris said that it was important that the reins of leadership fell into the most competent hands evidenced by proven track records.
