Strengthen Health Subsidies To Improve Access-Expert

A Medical Practitioner, Dr Sunny Ukachakwu, has advised government to strengthen health subsidies and institutions so as to improve access to healthcare in the country.
Ukachukwu, who is the Medical Director of Primus International Specialty Hospital, Karu near Abuja, gave the advice in an interview with The Tide source at the weekend in Abuja.
He said that Primary Health Care facilities across the country and the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) were laudable programmes designed to improve access to healthcare.
He, however, said that that implementation of such programmes had not been effective.
“Quality medical care is expensive, but most advanced countries subsidise rates for their citizens.
“In Nigeria we have the Primary Healthcare Facilities scattered across the country, the idea was to bring medical care close to every person.
“There is also the NHIS; these are good initiatives, but implementation, management and corruption have been the stumbling blocks.
“The amount of money Nigerians spend on medical tourism is enough to improve our health sector,’’ he said.