Medical students.
The Federal Government is in the process of starting a programme that would increase the production of healthcare providers in the country.
The program will commence with the admission of 10,000 medical students every year, while admission for nurses would increase from 28,000 to 68, 000, annually.
The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Tunji Alausa made this known during a courtesy call on Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, at the Presidential Lodge in Abeokuta.
Dr. Alausa also revealed that the Federal Government is considering a new legislation to further regulate the healthcare sector for improved service delivery.
He decried the unwholesome practice where untrained people would be operating in the health sector.
According to the Minister, “We will be pushing for a new regulation to regulate the healthcare sector, as more than 60 percent of the nation’s healthcare is in the hands of the private sector without adequate supervision.
“You see hospitals, laboratories and diagnostic centres being run without anybody checking on what they are doing and these are some of the places where illegal practices like organ harvesting is taking place”.
Throwing more light into the Sectoral Approach Programme launched by President Bola Tinubu, the Minister explained that one percent of the Consolidated Fund was for Basic Health Provision, 55 percent for Primary Healthcare Centres and 45 percent for National Health Insurance, while five percent goes into Emergency Services.
He said Ogun State has been diligent in managing the Basic Health Provision Funds, which is meant for Primary Healthcare Centres, calling on the governor to adequately monitor the fund to ensure it was utilised for the purpose it was meant for.
The Minister explained that his visit was to see how Federal Government could synergise with the state government in pushing the President’s mandate which is to rejig, evaluate and overhaul the health delivery system for the benefit of Nigerians.
Responding, Governor Abiodun, said his administration would not hesitate to implement any Federal Government’s initiative, aimed at eliminating quackery in the health sector.
“Let me assure you that in terms of the regulation that would allow for tighter regulatory functions over medical practitioners to prevent quackery, we will not hesitate to replicate at the state level.
“We are one of the two states that have put in place a board for alternative medicine because we realised that a lot of our people, especially the pregnant women, are patronising the Traditional Birth Attendance. We regulate and certified them to ensure we have some form of oversight in their activities”, he said.
The governor expressed delight that the federal government was considering increasing the number of intake in the nation’s medical institutions, to address the shortfall of medical personnel in government health facilities, assuring that the state would emulate such move, in order to produce more practitioners in the sector.
While pledging to support the agenda of President Bola Tinubu-led federal government to reposition the health sector, the state’s helmsman noted that as the industrial, education, religious hub of Nigeria, with influx of people on daily basis, it was imperative for the state to have adequate health facilities and qualified manpower to provide health care services to the people.
