FG budgets N126b for infrastructure renewal in tertiary health institutions

Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Ikanade Agba, at the weekend, said the Federal Government had budgeted N126 billion in the Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP) to upgrade infrastructure in Nigeria’s Federal Medical Centres (FMCs) and teaching hospitals.

In an address at the 21st anniversary of the Temitayo Awosika Help Foundation (TAHF) in Abuja, the minister stated: “In order to build resilience in our health system, we have provided N126 billion in the Economic Sustainability Plan to upgrade health infrastructure across the Federal Medical Centres and teaching hospitals across the country with intensive care units, labs and isolation centres in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

“In this period of COVID-19, we still require more collaborations with the international community to tackle health challenges in our country.”

In the speech titled, “Unleashing partnership to drive institutional financial support for implementation of research planning outcomes towards improving the health of the weak”, Agba said: “As a government, we are geared towards making progress in the health sector by upgrading and developing Nigeria’s health infrastructure and (ensuring) operationalisation of the National Health Act 2018.

“The Act established the Basic Health Care Provision Fund to increase the fiscal space and overall financing to the health sector to assist Nigeria achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through revitalisation of Primary Health Care (PHC) and other schemes.”

He went on: “The goal is to ensure that quality basic health care services are delivered to majority of Nigerians irrespective of their locations.”

The minister regretted the COVID-19 outbreak and its negative effects on global and local economies.