President urges Nigerians to have confidence in the country’s health system. News President Goodluck Jonathan has called on Nigerians to have confidence in the country’s health system. The President made the at the official commissioning of Lifebridge Medical Diagnostic Centre. The President who was represented by the Minister of Health, Prof. C.O. Onyebuchi Chukwu said that Nigerians should stop going abroad for treatment for ailments that would ordinary be treated at home; adding that Nigeria has the expertise as well as first class facilities. He said that the development in the health sector which encourages public private partnership is in line with the present administration’s transformation agenda. He added that government is determined to encourage Nigerians in the Diaspora to fully participate in the health sector. He said that government has put measures in place to encourage drug manufacturing in the country, noting that this will provide jobs and the economy will be better for it adding that medical equipment imported to the country are duty free which is an incentive to encourage people to come and invest in Nigeria. The president noted that with the commissioning of the diagnostic centre, it is an indication that Government’s collaboration with the private sector is beginning to pay off. He reaffirmed that with the first class facilities, Nigerians don’t have business going abroad to access healthcare given what we have in the country. In his welcome address, the Chairman of the Centre, Senator Ikechukwu G. Abana said that the concept of the Centre was anchored on the Federal Government’s initiative of unlocking private sector potentials for the establishment of world class specialist hospitals and high end diagnostic centres in all parts of the country. He highlighted some areas that pose serious challenges and barriers to entry for investors in the health sector among others, to include high import duties, multiple taxation and exorbitant fees charged by various government agencies. While calling on the Federal Government for a downward review of the exorbitant fees charged by government agencies, he requested for import duty concessions to medical service providers and a reduction in multiple taxation which such high fees cascade down as high charges to clients, which include the masses who find it difficult to afford these high costs. He said that the centre is poised to modernize Nigeria’s healthcare infrastructure and human resource skills base stressing that it has started offering skills training to undergraduates of government universities. He called on the Federal Government to redirect a portion of the National Industrial Training Fund budget to support private Health sector operators and expand its scope. T
Posted on: Fri, 19 Jul 2013 09:49:45 +0000
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