Union Kicks Against Call To Privatise Tertiary Healthcare Centres

The Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP) has condemned the call on the Federal Government to privatise tertiary healthcare centres in the country.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Dr Ojinmah Uche, President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) had on July 24, asked the Federal Government to privatise all tertiary healthcare centres in the country.

Uche argued that the move would ensure effective service delivery and help reduce mass migration of doctors to foreign land.

Responding, the NUAHP President, Mr Ibrahim Kamal, described the call at a news conference in Abuja on Thursday, as “unfortunate and insensitive”.

According to him, privatising tertiary health institutions will only aggravate the problem of access to tertiary healthcare services in the country, particularly by common citizens.

He said that Nigerians have the right to unhindered access to healthcare services, as a social service being provided by the government as enshrined in the 1999 constitution.

He said that NUAHP has rejected the call, adding that there was no evidence to prove that privatising tertiary healthcare facilities would, overtime, address the challenge of brain drain.

“The major challenges affecting the health sector are inadequate funding and poor management of public health institutions among others.

“If the above issues are addressed, there will be significant improvement in the quality of service delivery in health centres, including tertiary health facilities,” he said.

Kamal appealed to President Bola Tinubu to dismiss the call and instead, declare a state of emergency in the health sector to address the challenge of brain drain.

He also called on Tinubu to increase public investment in the health sector to address the myriad of challenges affecting the health sector. (NAN)