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Leadership (Abuja)

Nigeria: Osotimehin Calls for Gov's Attention to Primary Healthcare

Winifred Ogbebo

12 January 2009

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Abuja — The Minister of Health, Prof Babatunde Osotimehin, has called on the Kwara State Governor, Bukola Saraki, to be an advocate for health by using his office as the Chairman of the Governors Forum to persuade his colleagues to support and invest in primary health care.

The minister, who was making his first official tour since his inuaguration last weekend, said that there should be a paradigm shift in the running of government, from federal to state, and from state to local government.

Osotimehin, who also disclosed that the National Assembly was to pass the National Health Act which will define the levels of the various tiers of government in healthcare, said" PHC is the way to go if we have to reach most of our people with affordable healthcare.As long as the people on the street get quality healthcare, then, we should have achieved considerably".

Responding, Saraki said the reason for the failure of the Primary Health Care is that the people have lost faith in the delivery services as there has been no reliability."

On the demand side, the most fundamental thing is that people have lost faith in the PHC as there has been no reliability. So, this is an issue to be worked on"

He said for the scheme to succeed,they have to win back the hearts of the people.

While assuring of his support for the scheme, Saraki also called on local government bosses to build residential quarters for doctors so that the faith of the communities can be bouyed up.

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