Health professionals have called for increased budget allocation for public health to address the impact of the country's economic uncertainty on the sector and improve service delivery to the population seeking medical care.
According to them, rising inflation in the country is increasing the cost of medical treatment and worsening health-seeking behaviour by forcing the vast majority of the population to opt for cheaper but ineffective options.
The professionals made this call at the opening ceremony of the 9th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Scientific Conference of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi, Abuja, on Thursday.
The event’s theme was: “Response to the crisis: strengthening health systems during economic uncertainty.”
CMD speaks
Speaking at the event, FMC Abuja Medical Director Saad Ahmed called for a reduction in tariffs on medical equipment imported into the country, noting that this would reduce the cost of treatment for patients who have to incur out-of-pocket expenses to access healthcare.
Mr Ahmed, represented at the event by Bioku Muftau, Head of Clinical Services, also suggested investing in local production of medical tools, noting that this will significantly address the high cost of import and tariffs.
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“Funding for health should be increased. Budget funds, which are less than 6%, are insufficient to advance the sector. We need to increase it. Reducing tariffs on some imports can also help,” he said.
He also recommended that authorities, health providers and professionals invest more in disease prevention, saying this will prevent people from having to make out-of-pocket expenses in the long term.
“We need to invest more in prevention, especially in diseases that require vaccination, such as cholera and measles. We need to prevent all of that. With that, we would have solved approximately 60 percent of the problem,” he said.
Greater insurance coverage
Also speaking, the President of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) Hospital Chapter, FMC Abuja Chapter, Bessie Ezie, said the national health insurance coverage is poor especially considering the population of people in need.
He said the country is going through the worst kind of hardship it has ever known and very few people are not having to pay out of pocket for medical care.
“The inflation rate is sky-high and this has affected the masses, affecting virtually every sphere of our existence, including health. The Nigerian government has made efforts to reach out to the common man through the National Health Insurance Act. However, the percentage of Nigerians, especially the most vulnerable, who have benefited from it remains very low.
“One wonders what our health indices will be like in a couple of years if the economic situation is not addressed head-on,” he said.
To provide support, CMD representative at the event, Mr. Muftau, revealed that FMC has dedicated a team to solicit medical funds for those under its care who cannot afford the cost of the services they received or need.
“As healthcare professionals, we also have to be our brothers’ keeper. In this hospital, for example, we formed a unit that seeks the goodwill of wealthy members of society to raise funds for the less privileged who are unable to pay their hospital bills,” he said.
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In addition, Alliance Hospital Medical Director Utabor Christopher called for more oversight and attention to patent medicine and traditional medicine practitioners.
According to him, the recession is leading more of the country's population to turn to traditional medicine practitioners who offer them cheaper options. He said that an effective way to ensure people's safety is to effectively monitor the activities of practitioners.
“It's safe to say that they are serving 50 percent of the population right now,” he said.
He further noted that the excessive dependence of citizens on tertiary institutions for health problems that should be treated in Primary Health Centres is proof that the country's health system is in crisis.
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This is why, he said, professional and political authorities must become more innovative.
“Innovation is important in times of crisis. We cannot continue doing the same thing in the same way. We must try new methods and measures,” he added.