CMD Canvasses Reposition Of Health Sector

Prof. Akin Osibogun, the Chief Medical Director, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, (LUTH), Idi-Araba, has called for the repositioning of the health sector to meet the needs of Nigerians.

Osibogun told newsmen in Lagos that the sector was faced with dual epidemic of communicable and non-communicable diseases and needed to be focused.

He said though health in Nigeria had grown over the years, the growth was faced with the challenges of increasing population and inadequate manpower.

According to him, there were only six tertiary hospitals in Nigeria in the 1960s compared to the present 52.

“There has been a tremendous growth in the health sector which comes with challenges and pressure of the population and distribution of manpower which needed to be addressed.

“Addressing the challenges in the system needed an evaluation, improving the quality and quantity of human resources and expanding facilities to meet the health needs and demands,’’ Osibogun said.

He said his expectation for 2011 would be to reposition the institute and provide essential services for those who might need highly specialised and complex services.

He said some of the services that had been abandoned for over 15 years would be reintroduced along with new ones.

He expressed the hope that the Federal Government and the Ministry of Health would continue to provide support services that would help reduce the number of patients seeking health services abroad.

Osibogun noted that with innovations, new techniques, updating of equipment, accessibility and adequate manpower, the health of Nigerians would improve henceforth.