By Ediale Kingsley
Prof. Issac Oyewole, Nigeria’s Minister of Health, has said Nigerians will continue to seek medical attention abroad, until the federal government is able to get $1billion annually.
Adewole was speaking recently at the commissioning of the permanent secretariat of West African College of Surgeons, Yaba, Lagos.
He said also told National Daily that, “In our 2017 budget proposal, we have committed N11.7 billion to upgrade at least seven tertiary health institutions, in which each one will receive N300 million and medical centres will receive N120 million. Fistula Centres will receive N50 million so that they can have water and electricity and function well.
“Then the strategic intervention will be to provide equipment to render services for the three main reasons Nigerians travel abroad, such as cancer, renal disorders and cardiac cases.”
Adewole also said the $500million received from the World Bank, has been used support to revitalize healthcare.
“This will enable them to revitalize their primary and secondary healthcare. We are committed to this course simply because we believe it will help us to decongest our tertiary health institution.
“Those who have fever, pain and diarrhoea have no business going to tertiary centres, it should be allowed to really commit themselves to the core business of socialized healthcare.
“Maiduguri is also queuing to develop first class trauma centre but for no reason that facilities is at the mercy of Boko Haram and they have to deal with many cases of injuries across the country,” Adewole said.