The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, says the federal government has set aside N260 billion to revitalize primary care centers (PHCs) across the country.
Pate disclosed this in Abuja on Thursday at the sectoral ministerial meetings organized by the Federal Ministry of Information and National Guidance to mark the first anniversary of the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
He said the move was in line with the directive of President Bola Tinubu and that the fund is available at the state level through funding from the International Development Association (IDA) and the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF).
“There is currently N260 billion available at the state level for the revitalization of its primary health care centres,” he stated.
The minister emphasized the government’s strategic focus on primary health care as the foundation of a strong health system.
“Our goal is to ensure that all Nigerians, regardless of their location, have access to quality healthcare services. By revitalizing these primary health care centres, we can provide essential health services closer to the people, thereby reducing the burden on tertiary health care centres,” he stated.
Pate noted that this financial injection would address several challenges faced by primary health care centers, including inadequate infrastructure, lack of essential medical supplies and lack of staff.
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“This funding will allow states to renovate existing facilities, purchase necessary medical equipment and employ additional healthcare workers to meet the growing demand for healthcare services,” he explained.
New oncology initiative
Pate said the Ministry of Health has launched a new oncology initiative aimed at improving cancer care through strategic medical investments.
He said the initiative includes establishing new oncology and nuclear medicine centres, upgrading existing facilities and deploying modern medical infrastructure at participating tertiary institutions.
The fund, he said, was included in the 2024 budget of the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) to procure advanced cancer treatment equipment for six federal tertiary hospitals in Nigeria.
Pate outlined the proposed state-of-the-art medical infrastructure that will be implemented at the six selected teaching hospitals, representing the six geopolitical zones.
The equipment, he said, includes linear accelerators, iridium brachytherapy machines, computed tomography (CT) simulators, positron emission tomography () scanners and cyclotrons.
“The Oncology Initiative has been included in the NSIA 2024 budget, with a proposal for state-of-the-art medical infrastructure to be implemented in the six selected teaching hospitals across the six geopolitical zones to enhance cancer treatment teams,” he said.
The minister also said that 10 projects are being implemented in the geopolitical regions to improve health services.
He said the presidential initiative “Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain” is designed to attract billions of dollars in new investments into the country’s healthcare delivery system.
Pate said this initiative involves a time-bound inter-ministerial collaboration to restructure the ecosystem of healthcare manufacturing, healthcare logistics services, healthcare technology services, healthcare retail services (e-commerce), healthcare provider facilitation and healthcare reform. health payers.
Training and hiring of health personnel.
The minister announced that the ministry has hired specialists to train 120,000 frontline health workers across the country until September.
Additionally, 2,400 health workers will be hired to provide services in rural areas.