Experts Seek Review Of Nigerian Health Policy

Worried about the
huge economic loss due to medical tourism, health professionals have called for total review of the Nigerian health policy with a view to providing better healthcare services for Nigerians.
According to our source in Lagos, Managing Director, JNC International Limited and President, Healthcare Federation of Nigeria (HFN), Mrs. Clare Omatseye at an  annual Thanksgiving Dinner and Awards event with the theme: “Expanding Our Frontiers”, blamed most challenges in the health sector on poor funding.
Omatseye, who lamented poor health budget by the Federal Government regretted that Nigeria could not meet WHO recommended 15 per cent budgetary allocation for health. “Nigeria only spends 6.1 per cent.”
Omatseye noted that the meagre amount apportioned to the sector, 82 per cent of it goes to recurrent expenditure (paying of salaries) leaving little to nothing for the provision of infrastructure and development of the sector.
Stating that Nigeria is still lagging behind in terms of healthcare, she stressed the need for a concerted effort by relevant authorities to curb the rise in brain drain and patient drain which she noted not only affect our economy but also the health of the citizens. She said there are 64, 000 registered doctors in Nigeria but only 34, 000 are practising.
“The same number of registered doctors who are Nigerians are outside the shores of the country doing very well and providing quality healthcare to citizens of other nations while there is a big gulf in patients to doctor ratio in the country which is now one doctor to 5000 patients as opposed to one doctor to 700 patients recommended by WHO.
Speaking, the Founder and Managing Director, HealthPlus Limited, Bukky George has reiterated the company’s resolve of becoming the household name in pharmaceutical business in the country and help in delivering quality.