Institute advocates inclusive healthcare system, inducts new members

The leadership of the Institute of Medical and Health Law (IMHL), has expressed its concern over the poor attitude of the Nigeria government towards the health sector and called for increment of the budget of the sector to enhance robust healthcare delivery in the country.

Giving his welcome address at the 2024 National Medical and Health Law Conference and induction of new members, organised in Abuja on Tuesday, the Director-General of IMHL Prof. Uwakwe Abugu said that inclusive healthcare system meant a healthcare system accessible to all irrespective of economic, gender, social and geographic disability and other statuses.

He said that inclusive healthcare was not just a moral obligation but a legal, economic and spiritual imperative.

The theme of the conference was; “Advancing Inclusive Healthcare, through specialised ethical standards in Nigeria medical practice”.

Abugu said that the World Health Organisation (WHO) had underscored that equitable healthcare systems were the bedrock of national development.

“Yet, in Nigeria systematic inequities, inadequate resources and ethical lapses continue to plague our healthcare delivery.

“The WHO has said that every country should spend five per cent of its GDP on healthcare”, he said.

He said that a country where most of its population could not access medical care, and where health insurance remained a mirage to many cannot achieve inclusive healthcare.

He said that it was important to ensure that healthcare services were available, accessible, affordable and of good quality.

“In Nigeria, many people do not know their rights as patients, and for some who do they are unwilling to pursue legal remedies for violations.

“This is due to several reasons, including finances needed to sustain a lawsuit and the length of time it takes to process a suit through our judicial system”, he said.

Abugu urged practitioners to imbibe optimal ethical standards to ensure that patients accessed health services with dignity.

He charged the inductees to give back to the society in their own little ways, adding that the institute was not an armchair institute.

“This is not an institute where you become member and go and sit down. There is so much work to be done individually and collectively”, he said

The keynote speaker at the event who also doubles as the Founder/ Chief Executive Officer, The All-Rights Foundation (TAF Africa), Ambassador Jake Epelle, also urged relevant stakeholders to collaborate in pursuit of an inclusive healthcare system in Nigeria.

According to him, inclusive healthcare involves developing comprehensive ethical guidelines in the Nigerian health system.

He said that in Nigeria the challenges to inclusive healthcare were significant, adding that issues such as poverty and inadequate infrastructure must be addressed through a robust legal and ethical framework.

“Tailored to the Nigerian context, these guidelines should be culturally sensitive to addressing these unique challenges faced by diverse populations, including indigenous community, rural dwellers and urban poor,” he said.

He said that there was a need to advocate policies that promote equality in healthcare and ensure that specialised ethical standards are not only developed but implemented effectively.

He called on the institute to ensure that they were included in the legal process as this would further give them the impetus to operate.

The Inspector-General of Police, Dr Olukayode Egbetokun, assured the institute of the force’s support in advancing inclusive healthcare through specialised ethical standards in the medical system.

Egbetokun, represented by Assistant Commissioner of Police, Ruth Okunbo, said that the institute should not only ensure quality healthcare system but also affordable healthcare system.