‘Imperatives of good remuneration for healthcare providers’

Lecturer at the Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lagos, Dr. Chukwuemeka Azubuike, has advocated improved remuneration for healthcare providers as part of measures to address major challenges in the health sector.

According to him, the challenges are poor remuneration of the health care providers, lack of adequate health care facilities and quality training/re-training of health care providers, inability of the different health care providers to work as a team and dichotomy among them.

The pharmacist said that other issues are chaotic drug distribution system that encourages supplies of substandard and fake drugs and allied products, lack of support from government and industries for research and development in health sector and lack/poor implementation of good polices that will encourage quality health provision. If adequate measures are not taken, these problems will continue to persist.

In proffering solutions, Azubuike said that the remuneration of the health care providers should be improved upon in order to attract dedicated and committed personnel in government hospitals.

“The poor salary structure has led to many of them paying much attention to their private establishments while in government employment.”

“Different units of healthcare providers should be encouraged by their associations to see healthcare provision as a teamwork. The focal point of their service should be the well-being of the patient. Differential salary structure among different health professional should be discouraged as much as possible. This will reduce the frequency with which different health professionals embark on strike,” Azubuike suggests.

“Government should set up or provide enabling environment for private companies to set up well-equipped functional and sustainable ultramodern reference hospitals in each of the geo-political zones.

“This should be later extended to each state and much later to each local government. Well-trained staff should be employed to manage the facilities. This will reduce the number of Nigerians travelling abroad for medical treatment. The universities should be well equipped with functional facilities for the training of health workers.”

He advised that pharmaceuticals and allied products supplies should be in control of trained and qualified personnel.