Minister of Health, Prof Ali Mohammed Pate has promised to work with his team to ensure that the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration begins to touch the lives of people through multiple instruments within the disposal of the federal government.

He stressed the need to address the persistent problems of medical tourism, often engaged in by Nigerians by improving health outcomes.

Speaking when he assumed duty with his Minister of State, Dr. Tunji Alausa, the Minister observed that President Tinubu has realized that Nigerians are eager to feel the impact of government, adding that the ministry has the duty to save lives and reduce pains whether physical pains or financial protection.

Pate noted that President Tinubu signaled an intent for his administration in selecting whom he assigned to the health sector, stressing that it is an important signal, especially with the inclusion of social welfare with health showing that he considered the people as the foundation of what his administration is going to do.

He said, “The welfare of the people is linked to health, because the health and welfare are interconnected right from gestation to early childhood, adulthood to elderly all across the life cycle and given this strategic trust, of course, we have to grow our country economy but we also need to attend to the people and health is an important component of that.

Mr. President said during the inauguration that he is a driver and we will follow and we will work hard to ensure that our driver takes us to the destination of vision that he has of transformation this country.”

While soliciting the support and cooperation of members of staff, heads of various agencies and parastatals under the Ministry, the minister said it was imperative for all to be accountable and transparent as well as ensure that Nigerians have access to quality health care.

He said, “We need to discuss what we are going to do together, dig deeper and shape a direction for the nation’s health sector. It is important that we deal with the issues of governance. To impose a governance of health, federal, state, local governments and other actors work together in the enactment and implementation of health policies, to hold one another accountable, to be transparent and improve health outcomes because there is a gap.

“When you fly from Addis to India, you see a lot of folks going for medical tourism; we should do something about it by improving health outcomes, not only the ministry but all actors, the Parastatals, the hospitals, the states and the private sector coming together.”

According to Pate, “There is an economic value chain that exists in health, there is a role for the private sector in health, we need to optimize that.

“We need to take public health and health security very important considering the fact that we are coming out of a pandemic. We will work as a team to move the country forward. We will also collaborate and achieve results”, he added.