Ehanire seeks private sector partnership for sustainable healthcare

MDCN won’t lower standard to contain foreign-trained doctors, says registrar

Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, has restated the need for organised private sector to complement government’s effort in providing inclusive and sustainable healthcare.

Speaking at the commissioning of the re-constructed Obstetrics and Gynecology (O&G) Ward of Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), yesterday, he observed that government alone could not adequately fund healthcare. Hence, he called multi-nationals, corporate organisations and well-meaning Nigerians to partner with government.

Ehanire, who was represented by the Minister of State for Health, Joseph Ekumankama, noted that Block C was built about 60 years ago and had not undergone major renovation since then.

According to the minister, the Federal Government is grateful for the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

“We can only hope for more from your company and others,” he appealed.

In a similar vein, Acting Chief Medical Director (CMD), LUTH, Prof. Wasiu Adeyemo, noted that government alone, even in developed countries, could not fund health care.

“I, therefore, appeal to all well-meaning Nigerians, corporate bodies and multinational companies to also extend their CSR to us as an institution,” he added.

In his speech, the MD, Nigeria LNG Limited, Dr. Philip Mshelbila, disclosed that the Health Support Programme (HSP) came on board due to shortfalls witnessed in the health sector during COVID-19 in 2020.

The Board of Nigeria LNG, he added, was gracious to approve the investment of $6 million for uplift of specific health facilities in 12 tertiary health institutions across the six geo-political zones in the country.

Meanwhile, the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) has vowed to sustain the standard guidelines for the clinical training of doctors in the country.

MDCN Registrar, Dr. Tajudeen Sanusi, stated this, yesterday, during the joint induction ceremony of newly qualified doctors and dentists of Bayero University, Kano (BUK).

Sanusi explained that Nigerian institutions produced best medical practitioners, who were competing favourably with their counterparts across the globe, expressing displeasure on the quality of foreign-trained doctors in the country.

He claimed that majority of doctors, who were trained abroad, would rather be compelled to write for, and pass, the council’s qualifying examination, regardless of the number of period they practiced outside.

He insisted that the council would not lower standard provisions for certification of doctors in the country.

Vice Chancellor of BUK, Prof. Sagir Abbas, lauded the commitment of the young doctors for scaling through the rigour of six years medical training. While enjoining them to rededicate themselves to the nation and humanity, he urged them to disassociate from any symptom of brain drain.