The Quest for a Better Health Care Delivery

The Federal Government has lost grip of the health sector. Nigerians now seek God’s intervention on issues pertaining to health care delivery. Most public hospitals are now designated mortuaries, where Nigerians are left to die, rather than recover from ailments. Interestingly, the citizenry now resort to self-medication and traditional healing therapy as a result of their poor economic status. Sadly, most health workers lack the requisite skills needed to be proactive in their jobs. All these put together has resulted in high infant and maternal mortality and the prevalence of several diseases. In some hospitals, patients are required to buy sachets of water for medical tests. Governments at all levels ought to set goals for better health care, but this is yet to occur. Nigerians hope to experience an increase in life expectancy, while also coming to terms with high and substantial levels of immunization against all vaccine preventable diseases and attaining national self-sufficiency in vaccine production. Up till this moment, governments at all levels have yet to ensure that universal access to primary health care has become a reality, in terms of support, community engagement and participation. The government has not performed commendably in the eradication, control and prevention of epidemic diseases. Why ? The corruption and rot in the system. Perhaps. Indeed, it is possible for the three tiers of the government to achieve an adequate supply of essential drugs to all health facilities, but the dubious activities of government officials have become the major impediment. It is only in an enabling environment that the government would be able to resuscitate a viable secondary health care system. Unfortunately, several uncompleted projects characterize health facilities across the country. Of disturbing worry, is the fact that commercialization of some hospitals’ functions is strangulating the already impoverished population, just as it is doubtful if existing health policies can take care of exigencies of this present time.
Solomon Adewunmi is the Editor-in-Chief of New Federation (news2day.emyspot.com), People(2day.emyspot.com) and Federationewsday(one.emyspot.com) He attended Ajeromi Ifelodun High School, Olodi-Apapa, Lagos and the University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos. He possesses - * BBC/EC CERTIFICATE IN NEWS JOURNALISM (FEB. 2001) * CERTIFICATE IN ARTS AND CULTURE CRITICISM (NANTAP MAY 2001) * CERTIFICATE IN PEACE JOURNALISM (JUSTICE, DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE COMMISSION) *CERTIFICATE IN CONFLICT ANALYSIS[UNITED STATES INSTITUTE OF PEACE ONLINE TRAINING PROGRAMME, OCT.2004] *CERTIFICATE IN INTERFAITH CONFLICT RESOLUTION( UNITED STATES INSTITUTE OF PEACE, JAN. 2009).

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