Boards of Health Institutions call for more private investments

Members of the Health Institutions Boards over the weekend called for more private investments in the health sector.

Members whose chairmen met in Abuja also warned the Federal Government on the second wave of the covid-19 pandemic.

The meeting was attended by the Chairman of the National Hospital Board, Hon. Patricia Eteh, who promised to intervene on the Health Workers’ planned strike.

Furthermore, the Chairman of the Board of the Gwagwalada Specialist Hospital and Chairman of the Chairmen of Health Institution Forum, Dr. Sam Jaja, stated that the government should be concerned about those who are coming into Nigeria from countries or continents that are witnessing the second wave of the covid-19 pandemic.

Speaking after their general meeting, the Chairman said, “We are members of the Nigerian Health Institutions Chairmen Forum. It is a Forum made up of all the tertiary health institutions in Nigeria. This forum has been as old as federal hospital institutions are concerned but our activities and contributions to health care delivery have not be made public.

“The present executive has been in existence since 2018 and we had coordinated the affairs of all tertiary health institutions and agencies in Nigeria for the purpose of ensuring the implementation of government policies for adequate and good health care delivery for the people of Nigeria

“Today, you will agree with me that the government alone cannot fund health care delivery and it is expected that people, philanthropists, know that there is a body that is helping the government to source for areas to deliver health care, most especially, to support people who can’t afford it. If we don’t assist the indigents, then we will have crises in our hands in terms of health care delivery.

“We are also taking a look at what will be the possible post-covid-19 attitude of health care delivery in this country. We have also noted the second wave of covid-19 in America, Europe, Asia, and also in other developed countries. We are aware that many people are coming from these places into Nigeria and that is a danger signal. We pray that we don’t have a second wave but then, assuming we have it, we are planning on how we are going to tackle it quickly.

“We also discussed how we are going to increase testing at different hospitals. You know the government is doing a lot to ensure they help in getting equipment to make sure they help almost all the hospitals in getting the PPE to help those on the frontline.”

On the threat by Health Workers to embark on strike, Jaja added: “That is not a new thing at all because that is what we are expected to do to ensure that we have adequate care delivery.

“We interact with them, meet with them, and discuss it with them. We will find a solution to whatever thing they are asking but the most important thing is that when everything is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, everything is lost, and that is why we will say – whoever is in the health sector should be wary on going on strike because you don’t know who may be lost. It could be somebody close to you or it could be yourself too.”