The Federal Government on Thursday cautioned against the duplication of health institutions across the country, stating that it would be counterproductive to duplicate efforts, especially in this era of scarce resources.
The Minister of Health, Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate, gave the warning in Abuja while speaking at a public hearing organized by the House of Representatives Committee on Health Institutions. The hearing discussed 16 bills aimed at establishing additional health institutions apart from the existing ones.
The Minister pointed out that health sector research, including that of cardiology, was already taking place on many fronts in Nigeria. Establishing a new institute would only add a financial burden on the government, especially as it is working to cut down on the cost of governance by streamlining government agencies.
Represented by a Director in the Ministry, Dr. Jimoh Olawale Salahudeen, the Minister emphasized that the Ministry remained enthusiastic and supportive of every effort geared toward ensuring growth and progress in the health sector.
He noted that while the Ministry appreciated the House of Representatives’ efforts in deepening healthcare services, including training and research in the country, cardiovascular research was not at a more critical level than other non-communicable diseases to justify the urgent establishment of the National Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Research, and Treatment Centre in Kano.
According to him, “All the Federal Teaching Hospitals and Federal Medical Centres in Nigeria, including those in the North-West geopolitical zone, already have the mandate to treat cardiovascular diseases, conduct research, and train healthcare professionals, including medical doctors who specialize in managing cardiovascular diseases and related cases.”
“The Federal Teaching Hospitals in the North-West geopolitical zone include: Aminu Kano University Teaching Hospital (Kano State), Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (Zaria, Kaduna State), Usman Dan Fodio University Teaching Hospital (Sokoto), Federal Teaching Hospital (Katsina State), Federal Medical Center (FMC) Azare (Bauchi State), FMC Birnin Kebbi (Kebbi State), FMC Birnin Kudu (Jigawa State), and FMC Gusau (Zamfara State).”
“These existing Federal Tertiary Hospitals (FTHs) and their cardiovascular units have not been overstretched, nor have they reportedly underserved the people in this zone. Additionally, other State Tertiary Hospitals in this zone complement the efforts of the FTHs in responding to specialized cardiovascular cases. These hospitals have not been reported to be underserving the population.”
“Furthermore, there is the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Yaba, Lagos, an agency under the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, which coordinates medical research in the country, as it is done in other parts of the world, including the USA, UK, Canada, Ghana, Senegal, etc.”
“Colleges of Health Technology are established to train middle-level healthcare professionals in various fields, such as nursing, radiography, dental therapy and technology, medical laboratory science, pharmacy, among others.”
ALSO READ: FEC approves N47.9trn budget for 2025
“The establishment of the Federal College of Health Technology, Song, in Adamawa State will provide opportunities for eligible citizens and people in the state to access health education, leading to the training of more health professionals and improving the health workforce of the state to address grassroots health challenges. The college will also boost the economic activities in the area.”
“The migration of health workers, as well as epidemics and emerging trends, underscore the need for Nigeria to have a sufficient and efficient health workforce readily available in the event of health emergencies.”
“The Federal Ministry of Health has no objection to the establishment of the proposed Federal Tertiary Health Institutions. However, this should be based on merit, considering geographical spread, the burden of disease in the proposed location, population density, and support from the host community and other stakeholders.”
“The existing cardiovascular units in Federal Tertiary Hospitals should be strengthened. The government should ensure adequate medical manpower, especially during this period of massive brain drain in the country, and ensure adequate funding of existing cardiology units in all FTHs.”
“It is pertinent to note that there already exist, in Adamawa State, the College of Health Technology Michika and College of Health Technology Mubi, but they are state-owned.”
ALSO READ: FUL sacks four lecturers over alleged misconduct
“The Federal Ministry of Health is not averse to establishing the Federal College of Health Technology, Askira-Uba, as it will further boost the training and availability of health professionals to respond to emergencies. However, Health Technology is within the purview of the state.”
Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Health Institutions, Hon. Amos Gwamna Magaji, lamented that the migration of health workers from Nigeria to other countries in search of greener pastures posed a significant challenge to the nation’s healthcare system.
The lawmaker stated that the core of the hearing was to provide guidance on the actualization of the Federal Government’s commitment to improving the healthcare sector through the widespread distribution of healthcare institutions across Nigeria.
He said that due to the growing population, the need for reference hospitals closer to the people, particularly in rural and suburban areas, had become critical for ensuring the success of government initiatives to improve healthcare.
According to him, tertiary health institutions in Nigeria are designed to provide tertiary healthcare services to complement primary and secondary care in the national healthcare system. He added that to develop and expand the country’s training institutions and ensure an equitable distribution of health manpower, the Federal Government must address the inequality in the distribution of tertiary institutions across the country.
He argued that the mass exodus of health workers and professionals to other countries presented a significant challenge to Nigeria’s healthcare sector, stating, “Recently, there has been an enormous migration of doctors, nurses, and other health workers in search of greener pastures in other countries, leaving Nigeria’s health sector severely understaffed.”
He continued, “The need to reposition the healthcare sector to meet emerging challenges is crucial for its improvement. To succeed in this era, we need a system that invests in human resources and medical intelligence as the backbone of the health sector. The administrative appointment of capable persons, based on merit, in hospital management is also crucial.”
“Proper human resource management is critical to providing high-quality healthcare. Effective human resource management strategies are essential for improving healthcare outcomes and access in Nigeria. As arguably the most important of the health system inputs, the performance and benefits the system can deliver depend largely on the knowledge, skills, and motivation of those responsible for providing health services. It goes without saying, therefore, that this aspect of our health sector must be invested in to ensure a thriving and performing system.”
“The structural quality of a health system is heavily influenced by its healthcare infrastructure. As we carry out oversight functions of healthcare institutions across the country since the inauguration of this committee, what is undeniably evident are the infrastructural deficiencies in health services, lack of equipment, resulting largely from inadequate funding of health institutions by the government, and a total lack of a maintenance culture for provided equipment.”
Get real-time news updates from Tribune Online! Follow us on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive stories and interviews, and much more.
Join our WhatsApp Channel now