Nigeria’s primary healthcare system dysfunctional, says labour leader Jude

President of the National Association of Community Health Practitioners of Nigeria (NACHPN), Akoh Jude has said the country’s healthcare system was skewed towards the rich, dysfunctional and thereby unable to solve 70 per cent of the health challenges.

He disclosed this at the annual national workshop for healthcare practitioners across the 36 states of the country tagged: ‘Re-launching Primary Healthcare in Nigeria,’ which held in Lagos.

Akoh stressed that the problems faced by Nigerians prompted effective measures for re-launching primary healthcare in the country with a view to revitalising the healthcare system to ensure quality services to Nigerians. 

Speaking at the event, the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, who was represented by Dr. Alex Okoh, said a new health policy has been approved that is expected to reduce maternal mortality rate in the country.

While commending the health practitioners for the workshop, he added that primary healthcare was the bedrock of healthcare system that is closer to the people.State Chairman of the Association, Olanrewaju Babs lamented lack of health practitioners, which he said hinders adequate community integration for health actions.

“We cannot pretend that there are no challenges. The number of community health practitioners is less than 0.0027 (3 to 100,000) people with only about 600 practitioners employed by the government to care for over 22 million Nigerians.

“A community of 50,000 people has less than two community health practitioners. Private practice is not encouraged with the current reforms in the Lagos State healthcare system,” he said.Babs therefore, urged the Governor Akinwunmi Ambode government to provide utility vehicles in the sector.