LAGOS – The Medical Director, Eko Hospitals, Lagos, Dr Sunny Kuku, on Friday urged the Federal Government to establish private health sector intervention fund to boost healthcare delivery in the country.
Kuku told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that funding had been a major hindrance to private sector’s contribution to the health sector.
He said the fund would enhance capacity building and support infrastructure in the private sector, which he said handled over 60 per cent of the health needs of the citizenry.
“There is no doubt that one of the banes of medical care in Nigeria is lack of soft money to develop, to build hospitals, to build pharmaceutical companies, laboratories, equipment and so on.
“That money must be provided from somewhere. The interest rate this time in this country that rose from 18 per cent to 30 per cent cannot sustain any industry.
“The best hospitals in this country that are doing partially well cannot do 10 per cent. “So, if you are going to borrow at 30 per cent, there is no way you can”, he said.
According to him: “there must be somewhere to access these funds and one of the ways to do it is to have a Medical Care Bank.
“There could be an intervention fund like have been done for aviation industry. Once there is adequate funding, the hospitals will develop“. (NAN)
