(L-R): Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, EchoScan Services Limited, Dr Ayodele Benson, President, Healthcare Federation of Nigeria, Clare Omotseye; Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Jide Idris and Country Director, IQVIA, Remi Adeseun at the HFN Quarterly Breakfast meeting.
In order to provide access to average Nigeria, Health Federation of Nigeria (HFN) an association of stakeholders in the healthcare industry has called for a strategic partnership with the public health sector.
The association made the call in Lagos at its quarterly breakfast meeting. The president of HFH, Mrs. Clare Omatseye while speaking to journalists said collaboration between public and private sectors is an opportunity to be able to unlock health care in the country.
“We need to be able to do Public, Private Partnership of coming together to create that dialogue. We think that the efficiencies and discipline in the private sector is a huge advantage to the public sector and collaboration will be able to make a difference. The whole idea is that together we can provide access to quality healthcare.
“We also think that private health sector has a role to play in the provision of primary health services in the country. It is not about building brand new primary healthcare centers but majorly to be able to take over some of the moribund infrastructure, revamp it, put green energy there, put in basic equipment there and provide quality care to average Nigeria.
“Finally, we believe that as long as people have to pay out of pocket, it impoverishes Nigerians and therefore, we need to find a way to make healthcare insurance mandatory so that every Nigerian has access to at least basic care.
“The provision of quality healthcare is a fundamental human rights, it is the responsibility of the government in collaboration with the private health sector to be able to achieve this,” Mr. Omatesye said.
Mrs. Omatesye explained that the reason for the meeting was to give the stewardship of the association activities in the last one year and half. Also, it was designed to have interactive section with honourable Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris to discuss the basic healthcare provision and the importance of the Federal Government’s consolidated revenue of 1%.
Responding, Dr Idris lauded the association for its efforts.
“Personally, I believe the future of the health system lies on the private health sector in this country and whether the private health sector is ready to take that challenge, it’s left for them. But with what I have heard this morning, I didn’t know that you people have done so much.
”So, there is a huge role for private sector in service provision and if everybody get their acts together, the government don’t need to spend so much money building facility or buying equipment, we can work out arrangement with them and all these things are sorted out by law,’’ Dr. Idris said, adding that the steps taken so far on 1% by the federal government is a major step forward, if properly implemented.