Stakeholders in the South East has demanded a state of emergency in the health sector as well as chief executive officers of states paying special attention to the sector.

Rising from a crucial town hall meeting with the theme, ‘Setting agenda for healthcare in Nigeria, Save One, Save All’ in Owerri, stakeholders in the South East in collaboration with Budgit through funding from Skoll Foundation via the COVID-19 Transparency and Accountability Project (CTAP) at a forum chaired by Iyanuoluwa Bolarinwa, said that states must develop and implement a timely policy for the recruitment and appointment of health personnel focusing not only on numbers, but also on quality.

It was also suggested that the state governments should improve and harmonise salary and remuneration structures for health workers.

In preparing for any epidemic, the participants suggested that the commissioners for health should establish infectious disease hospitals in all the senatorial zones with functional modular laboratories and ambulance services.

“The state governments should consider the involvement of community-based organisations, faith-based organisations and development partners to improve access to healthcare,” the stakeholders said.

They also suggested that the state should make provision for health insurance policy targeted at the informal sector and people living with disabilities.