We’ll tackle braindrain, poor infrastructure, lack of funding in health sector – FG

From Mustapha Adamu, Kano

Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare Professor Muhammad Ali Pate has said that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will address the pressing challenges in the Nigerian health sector.
Pate stated this at the opening of 13th Biennial Delegates Meeting and Scientific Conference of Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), with a theme; Medical Education in Nigeria st a Crossroads: Challenges of Undergraduate and Postgraduate Medical Education and Way Forward, held in Kano yesterday.
The minister, represented by Professor Abdulrahman Sheshe, Chief Medical Director, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital admitted that there are numerous challenges bidevilling the health sector in the country but the administration of President Bola Tinubu is committed to address them.
According to him, “the government could not ignore the fact that there are problems of braindrain, poor funding, poor facility and obsolete equipment.
“People, especially women in rural areas are suffering due to lack of good facilities and access roads, causing maternal complications that sometimes lead to death.
“But, this administration is resolved to Fox all these problems and improve our health sector,” he said.
The minister said the federal government is ready to work in tandem with medical associations, such the MDCAN in a bid to achieve the aim of improving the health sector.
In his remarks earlier, the President of the MDCAN, Dr Victor A. Makanjuola noted that the theme of this year’s conference is extremely important and timely.
According to Makanjuola, lamented the mass exodus of medical consultants from the country in search for greener pastures .
“Medical education, just as clinical service delivery is taking a big hit from the exodus of consultants from the country to “greener” pastures. This is in addition to surreptitious turf encroachment often manifesting as curriculum upgrade by allied health professionals.
“ The need to have frank discussion and innovate speedily to address these challenges cannot be over emphasized.
“The array of national leaders of thought in Medical Education and global leaders in our profession sourced by the Local organising Committee will no doubt do justice to the theme,” he said.
The president explained that the The Biennal Delegate Meeting and scientific conference holds every two years, aimed at Xraying new developments in the medical profession, review existing practices and showcase innovations by colleagues in the health and medical education industry.
In his remarks, the Kano state Commissioner of Health, Dr Yusuf Labaran commended the MDCAN for the choice of the theme and Kano for this year’s programme
Yusuf, represented by Prof. Salisu Ibrahim Ahmed, Executive Secretary, Private Health Institutions Management Agency (PHIMA) said the state government, in its commitment to improving healthcare services, had tackle the menace of diptheria in the state.