Health Budget Needs Review -Expert

Former Chief Medical Director at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), Prof. Uriah Etawo has advocated upward review of yearly budget for health across the three tiers of government.
Etawo who was chairman of the Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Rivers State Branch said the current budget allocation to health sector is dismal.
The former CMD noted that the poor budget allocated to health defeats the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs).

He said, “the current budget allocation which is 4.1 per cent is poor and 70 per cent of this budget falls under recurrent , while 30 per cent is capital.”
With this poor budget, Etawo said it is difficult to improve health care in the country, as cost of governance continues to affect health care delivery.
Besides, he argued that more attention should be given to primary health care close to the rural population.
In his view, expenditure to primary health care should be 75 per cent, 25 per cent to secondary, while five per cent allocated to tertiary medicare.
Frowning at the current situation where medical doctors are put under pressure due to poor facilities, Etawo lamented that one biggest challenge to healthcare delivery in the country is poor amenities such as power provision.
He commended the Rivers State branch of NMA for the unity achieved over the past two years, as he urged for cooperation amongst those in private and private practice.
Etawo also praised the Prof. Alikor-led exco for its achievements and vision and implored the incoming exco to sustain the tempo.

By: Kevin Nengia