In an effort to bring medical care nearer to the populace, the federal government is planning to to build 10,000 primary health centres in 774 local government areas and reduce pressure on the tertiary institutions.
The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, disclose this Monday at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti while inaugurating 12 projects initiated and completed by the Chief Medical Director, Dr. Majekodunmi Ayodele. Adewole explained that Buhari was determined to alleviate the citizens’ sufferings in the area of quality healthcare by providing more facilities at both the primary and secondary health institutions.
He said, “It is unfortunate that our national hospitals are better known for strikes rather than services. The human factor is the most important, we should learn to put services above all other considerations in our agitations as medical practitioners because some of the cases I have handled in recent times were more of how to get more pay and not about commitment.
“Those engaging in the fuelling of crises in federal health institutions are those fighting to replace the present occupier of the seats of CMDs. But I want to warn that they should wait for their time.”
“The tertiary institutions are not meant to treat malaria or skin rashes, but to attend to critical issues. We are determined to take away over 70 per cent of patients from the teaching hospitals, but the heads of tertiary institutions must find a way to relate freely with these cadres for effective healthcare delivery. “We won’t abandon those cadres, so that the sequence of referral could be protected.”
The CMD, who assured the agitated workers that all their dues would be paid, appealed to the ministry to grant the request for the payment of take-off grants to the hospital as a former medical centre and for its new status as a teaching hospital.
Governor Ayodele Fayose, who was represented by the Speaker, Kola Oluwawole, and Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), in separate speeches, urged the hospital’s management to find ways of ensuring industrial harmony in the health facility.
They also appealed to the doctors, nurses and other paramedical personnel to refrain from agitating for pay, even while on strike.
