FG EVALUATES HOSPITALS, AIMS FOR AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE FOR NIGERIANS
Read Time:2 Minute, 46 Second
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, revealed that an independent evaluation has been conducted to assess the quality of care in tertiary hospitals nationwide.
In an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Monday, Pate explained that the survey was conducted by the National Tertiary Hospitals Standards Committee.
He said, “We are beginning to focus on the quality of care in our facilities. As we speak, an independent assessment has been conducted in 20 of these hospitals to evaluate the quality of care provided to our patients.
“For the first time, we established the National Tertiary Hospitals Standards Committee, which has undertaken a thorough review of the standards these facilities should meet. We have not had this kind of effort for decades. I would say we are now significantly ahead of where we were before this administration.”
Professor Pate explained that the committee was formed based on the provisions of the National Health Act of 2014.
“The committee has just submitted its report, which is yet to be implemented. The 2014 Act mandated action on healthcare quality, but it has taken all these years for such a committee to be established. Now, this administration has made it happen, and we have completed the assessment.
“We are introducing scorecards for our teaching hospitals, not to judge but to identify strengths and areas for improvement. This will help all chief executives focus on enhancing the quality of care delivered to patients because our priority is serving Nigerians. This aligns with the president’s directive to reorient the healthcare system to meet the needs of the people.
“While the system is not perfect, this administration has taken steps that were long overdue. We remain focused on improving quality, infrastructure, and human resources within the health sector so Nigerians can receive quality healthcare locally,” he said.
The minister also revealed ongoing efforts to reform the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), expand health insurance coverage, and introduce measures to make drugs more affordable while reducing financial burdens on patients.
“We recognise that affordability is a challenge for many Nigerians. A survey revealed that healthcare costs are pushing some citizens deeper into poverty. To address this, we are reforming the NHIA, expanding health insurance, subsidising premiums for vulnerable populations, and implementing measures to reduce drug costs.
“Although this is challenging, we have intervened from a policy perspective to ease these financial constraints over time. Our vision is to create an integrated healthcare system, with primary healthcare as the foundation. Every Nigerian should have access to basic healthcare, with more complex cases referred to higher levels of care. We urge states to invest in secondary facilities to support this vision,” he emphasised.
Additionally, the government plans to tackle maternal mortality through the Maternal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMI).
“To address maternal mortality, we are upgrading 774 Comprehensive Emergency Obstetrics and Newborn Care (CEmONC) Centres under the MAMI Initiative. This will ensure mothers in underserved local government areas can access emergency services, such as caesarean sections, without financial barriers.
“We are also working with the NHIA to provide free services for women and children at these centres, thereby reducing maternal mortality. This will enable women to deliver safely, care for their children, and contribute to the country’s demographic and economic potential,” he added.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0