Osotimehin tasks doctors, others on health

The Minister of Health, Professor Babatunde Osotimehin has again called on all stakeholders in the health sector to be alive to their responsibilities for effective and efficient health care delivery in the country.

Osotimehin who made the call at the Presidential Summit on Health in Abuja, stressed the need for doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health personnel to introduce human face to their jobs, “because health is about life”.

“Patients have a lot of confidence in doctors, nurses, pharmacists whether skilled or unskilled and for this reason, I want to urge our colleagues to always sustain the patients’ confidence in them by attending to their needs promptly”, he said.

The minister, who spoke on “Health in Nigeria: The Situation Analysis”, said the current health situation in the country was unacceptable and charged all stakeholders to contribute towards the implementation of the Vision 20:2020 for improved health system.

According to Osotimehin, forming a national partnership on health based on collective responsibility would go a long way in improving the health status of Nigerians “as no problem is insurmountable”.

The Federal Government, he disclosed is presently revitalizing Primary Health Care (PHC) to improve the health of all citizens, noting that the strategy of using traditional and religious leaders for PHC delivery had been yielding fruitful results.

Earlier in an opening address, the Minister of State for Health, Dr Aliyu Idi Hong had asserted that the health needs of the people could be majorly impacted and sustained at the state and local governments’ levels.

To achieve this, Hong stressed the need to develop strategies that would be owned and driven by the states through the direct involvement of the state governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr. Linus Awute, explained that the summit would go a long way in ensuring that the federal and state governments work together for improved health indices of the country.