The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, has urged states across Nigeria to emulate the innovative health initiatives implemented by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike.
Pate who commended Minister Nyesom Wike’s efforts in addressing the health needs of the FCT’s vulnerable populations, including women, children, and the indigent, said his intervention initiatives align with the Federal government’s plans to rejuvenate the nation’s healthcare systems.
While highlighting Wike’s enhancement of the Territory’s health sector, particularly through the innovative medical palliative initiative, the Minister said it is a testament to the Minister’s determination to reposition the FCT’s health system.
Speaking on Wednesday during the Government General Hospital-leg of Medical Palliative tour of government hospitals in Abuja,
Pate emphasized that the Federal Government’s health initiatives would have a greater impact at the grassroots level if States actively partnered with the Federal government’s rejuvenation efforts.
Highlighting the progress made since the launch of the National Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII), Pate cited the training of 10,000 frontline health workers in eight states as part of the goal to train 120,000 workers nationwide.
He also noted the enrollment of over 2 million Nigerians in the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) since the inception of the current government.
Pate emphasized that these achievements are steps towards rejuvenating Nigeria’s health sector and underscored the importance of state-level participation in these efforts.
“The Federal Government’s commitment to revitalizing the health sector is evident from the launch of the National Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII) and the endorsement of the Sector-wide Compact by President Bola Tinubu and the 36 state governors and the FCT in December 2023,” he said.
He stressed that the success of these initiatives relies on the active participation and cooperation of state governments, saying, “The health and well-being of the Nigerian people is very central to the President’s agenda for Nigeria, the Renew Hope Agenda.
“We’ve been working very hard over the last 12 months to improve the health of all Nigerians. Today, we’re seeing one more step, along with the Federal Capital Territory Administration, under the order of Minister Wike, the Mandate Secretary, and ourselves in the Federal Ministry of Health, under the overall leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to continue to deliver things that will improve the health and well-being of all Nigerians.
“It’s what we have done under the umbrella of these medical palliatives launched for the first time here in the FCT, for which we are encouraging all States in the Federation to copy and to advance this effort so that we deliver health to Nigerians in rural areas and in urban areas”.
Mandate Secretary for FCT Health Services and Environment, Adedolapo Fasawe emphasized the government’s awareness of Nigeria’s current challenges, noting that while food palliatives are being provided, medical palliatives are equally crucial due to limited resources and competing demands.
She assured that the medical palliative tour would be sustainable, “We’ve observed that many patients forgo necessary medicines to afford food. In response, a memo was written to Minister Nyesom Wike to approve the concept of medical palliatives, which he graciously approved after being satisfied with the sustainability plan.
“By giving patients enough medicines to last two months, they can allocate funds for other essentials, promoting a balanced life
“This initiative won’t operate daily but its broader impact on overall well-being is immeasurable, “Health is not just the absence of disease but the holistic well-being of a person. A hungry person cannot be healthy.
“All patients visiting the hospital today are eligible for free tests, treatments, and surgeries, funded by the health insurance scheme, however, to further benefit from this, patients must register with the FCT health insurance scheme, which covers a family of four for an entire year,” she added.
While noting the significant growth in the FCT health insurance registrations from 104,000 to over 180,000, Fasawe attributed it to the benefits provided while encouraging more registrations, assuring that the health insurance scheme would continue to provide free services even when medical palliatives are not being distributed.