Lagos – A laboratory scientist, Mr Kehinde Adegoke, on Wednesday, urged the Federal Government to increase budgetary allocation to the nation’s health facilities and research institutions.
Adegoke, also a former Chairman, Senior Staff Association of University Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRIAI), LUTH chapter, made the plea in Lagos.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Adegoke said adequate funding of the sector would enable Nigerians to have unhindered access to healthcare facilities.
He said “government needs to provide cutting edge equipment through public and private partnership, and ensure adequate training of health workers that will handle those equipment.
“If health workers are well trained, it will expose them enough to deliver quality healthcare services needed, and it will make the handling of sophisticated equipment easier for them.’’
The former chairman said that the funds being generated internally in the hospitals should be monitored and well appropriated to provide succour to the hospitals whenever there was paucity of funds.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560″]
Commenting on the incessant wrangling among health workers, Adegoke said that the unhealthy rivalry had been hindering effective healthcare delivery.
He said “health sector professionals lack cohesion in the discharge of their duties.
“I want to urge the new ministers in the Ministry of Health to, as a matter of urgency, work out a good coordination for these health professionals.
“The duties in the health system are more of a team work, and I implore the ministers to make efforts to bring out the real team work out of all the healthcare professionals.’’
Adegoke said negotiations between the different professionals on wages, allowances and emoluments of health workers should be done jointly.
“Ministers of the health ministry should not engage in any act that can create division among the group of professionals in the sector.
“The ministers should also empower the regulatory bodies of various professionals to be able to come out effectively to regulate the practice and maintain standards; we have standards on paper, but not enforced.
“I believe that when the regulatory bodies in the health sector are really up to the game of standards, we will have better practice and the health sector will be what it used to be.’’ (NAN)