N1.3trn Health Budget Insignificant – Disney Foundation

The Disney Nwanne Foundation has said, the N1.3 trillion health budget in the 2024 fiscal year is like a drop in the ocean, considering the decay in the sector, insisting that the amount must be judiciously used.

The convener of the foundation, Martins Nwanne said this at the 2024 Annual Day of The Disney‘s Symposium on the topic: “Domesticating And Enforcing the Patients’ Rights“ in Abuja at the weekend.

Disney Nwanne Foundation is a non-profit organisation advocating to uphold the patient‘s right and improved relationship with caregivers, established for the fond memory of Disney Nwanne who died as a result of medical professional misconduct.

Nwanne called on the government to prioritise the health sector through improved staff welfare, as an impoverished caregiver is a potential danger to a patient and investing in the appropriate medical infrastructure that is up to date with the applicable training for the operating staff.

„Reorientation of the staff mindset through seminars and conferences. By this, we mean from time to time they are reminded again and again of those values they hold dear which was also part of their training, like empathy and the sanctity of life.

„Health sector management must be devoid of political shenanigans. We must refuse to be politically correct in decisions and policies in our health sector as lives are involved. If we do not answer to man, we will surely answer to God.

„Today, our daughter Disney is 14. Though the pain persists, we have found reasons to try to change the narrative. Today, we do not celebrate a dead child, rather we celebrate Disney Nwanne who has become synonymous with the Patients’ Rights, advocacy for improved relationship between the caregiver and the patient and overdue reforms in the health sector. This is an achievable cause,“ he added.

In his remarks, a former minister of health, Professor Iyorwuese Hagher, insisted that Nigeria deserves an excellent health sector as her citizens are the ones manning the best medical facilities of advanced countries, saying „if we remove all the Nigerian doctors and nurses from Canada, US and UK, their health sector will fold up.”

He called on the Ministry of Health to continue to work with the international community to make the malaria vaccine available to all Nigerians and also to roll back malaria which has taken too long.

The former Nigerian High Commissioner to Canada said: „Is not too much for Nigeria to give the citizens better healthcare than what we have. The young lady that is 14 today that we celebrate lost her life or transited, she may end up being a great medical doctor, if her life was left, and she is just a tiny fraction  of so many Nigerians who have lost their lives due to preventable health issues.

„It is amazing that women have continued to be on top of this. Nigeria should not lose any woman in childbirth. Yet, maternal morbidity and infant mortality continued to be an issue in the health sector of this country. This shouldn‘t be so. Nigeria should aim at health first, education and infrastructure.“

Also, the acting chief executive officer, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Adamu Abdullahi urged Nigerians to leverage on the Patient‘s Bill of Rights (PBoR), saying the agency and other organisations championed the enactment of the legislation to address the country‘s significant health challenges.

Represented by the director, Consumer Education, Dorcas Olubunmi, Abdullahi said the PBoR empowers patients and holds healthcare providers accountable, articulating 12 patient rights and responsibilities, covering crucial aspects such as the right to information, timely access to medical records, transparent billing, privacy, and the right to quality care.