From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Federal Government said, on Tuesday, that it has accessed N1.4bn from the pool of Cancer Health Fund (CHF) to attend to the cancer treatment needs of 1, 400 patients out of 3, 600 cancer patients that registered for the care in the recent time.
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Daju Kachollom, disclosed the information in Abuja, on Tuesday, at a meeting with a delegation from the Nigerian Army who sought for inclusion in the CHF particularly for its veterans.
The meeting was called to explored potential areas of collaboration with the Army, including mental health support, access to primary healthcare, and the development of health infrastructure in military communities.
The Permanent Secretary said the cancer care was provided in the six Centres of Excellence strategically located across the six geopolitical zones including the National Hospital, Abuja, which serves as a referral centre, and this was after the CHF became fully operational in 2022 and piloted in the six locations.
She said: “The CHF currently cater for patients suffering from breast, cervical, and prostate cancers, with ongoing plans to extend the care to other cancers, and to possibly include it on the National Health Insurance platform to, perhaps, further ease accessibility.
“These six Centers plus the National Hospital are not just focused on cancer care alone but also cater to other specialties including plastic and reconstructive surgeries, as well as the manufacturing of prosthetics.”
She reiterated the Ministry’s commitment to giving the health sector a total facelift and reducing the financial burden of citizens, even as the nation advances towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
She further stated that measures are being put in place to address the country’s shortage of health workers, stressing that the Ministry is leveraging on the recent Executive Order of the President to mobilize pharmaceutical companies to set up outlets in Nigeria as a means of tackling the increasing cost of pharmaceuticals.
She appreciated the Nigerian Army for extending a hand of fellowship to the Ministry, highlighting the importance of such partnership which, expectedly, will go a long way in addressing the health needs of serving and retired soldiers who might have served the nation with dedication, as well create an avenue for the Army to contribute towards strengthening the country’s healthcare system.
Speaking earlier, Brigadier General, U.M Akali, the Deputy Chief of Administration and leader of the delegation, thanked the Permanent Secretary for the warm reception and commended the Ministry for all the efforts it was making in reviving the health sector.
He said the Nigerian Army was not only looking to benefit from the CHF but collaborate with the ministry in any way it possible to achieve the Ministry’s set goals.
He expressed optimism about the potential impact of the partnership and pledged to work together to achieve the desired outcomes.