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Tag: Health ministry

  • Health Ministry denies endorsing NIDO Europe faction

    Health Ministry denies endorsing NIDO Europe faction

    The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has dismissed claims that it endorsed a faction of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Europe (NIDOE), describing such reports as “not correct” and “a misrepresentation.”

    In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Head of Information and Public Relations at the Ministry, Alaba Balogun, said the claims arose after a video of a meeting with the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, was circulated online.

    “It has come to the attention of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare that a faction of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Europe is circulating the video of a meeting with the Honourable Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, as proof of endorsement by the Ministry

    “The Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare wishes to state categorically that this is not correct,” Balogun said.

    Balogun explained that the meeting in question was initiated by Nurses Across Borders (NAB), a non-governmental organization of Nigerian nurses in the diaspora, which has been partnering with the Ministry’s Diaspora Unit on migration policy and implementation.

    “Nurses Across Borders reached out to the Ministry, following the development of the migration policy and implementation plan.

    “They brought some foreign partners to showcase how they plan to assist in managing migration for Nigerian healthcare workers, as done in some countries in the Middle East and the Philippines,” he stated

    According to him, during the presentation to the Minister of State for Health, NAB representatives were accompanied by “some Nigerians in diaspora, including some individuals who introduced themselves as representing NIDO Europe, expressing interest in partnering with NAB in developing a mechanism for ethical migration of Nigerian health workers.”

    The Ministry, Balogun stressed, is open to working with reputable organisations on ethical migration but has not endorsed any particular group or faction.

    Read Also: Cosmopolitan varsity signs MoU with Health Ministry on medical training

    “To this end, the Federal Ministry of Health & Social Welfare wishes to reaffirm that it will consider working with reputable and experienced private organisations to develop a framework that will ensure ethical migration of Nigerian health workers for the mutual benefit of Nigeria and the migrating health workers,” the statement added.

    Balogun emphasised that the Ministry’s operations are guided by “the core value of working for the best interest of Nigerian health workers, including those in diaspora, without interfering with internal affairs of the organisations to which health workers might belong.

    “We will keep upholding plans and strategy to improve the Nigerian health sector by harnessing all material and human resources, including those provided by Nigerians in diaspora,” he noted.

  • Tobacco: Health Ministry, MAN tackle FG on N35m fine

    The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment has kicked against a penalty clause in the draft National Tobacco Control Regulations.

    The bill was sponsored by the Federal government but the Industry, Trade and Investment Ministry was against a penalty of N35m for the issuance of license for tobacco or tobacco products businesses (manufacturers, importers and distributors) pursuant to Section 29 (1) and (2) of the NTC Act.

    The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) also supported the Ministry in the rejection of the clause on the ground that the fine would be counter productive as it could lead to market contraction and loss of margin squeeze.

    This would naturally impact negatively on the volume of input purchased from farmers and eventually lead to disengagement of workers.

    The Simon Arabo-led Committee on Delegated Legislation organized an interactive session with stakeholders on Thursday the bill which is currently with the National Assembly.

    However, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, Minister of State for Health, Osagie Ehanire and Environmental Rights Action /Friends of the Earth (ERA/FoEN) threw their weight behind the bill.

    ERA/FoEN’s Deputy Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi said it has become extremely important for Nigeria to pass the bill into law in order to curb the usage of cigarettes and several new tobacco products in the country.

    He maintained that the passage of the draft regulation represents a unique opportunity for Nigeria to give the needed impetus for the smooth enforcement of the National Tobacco Control Act 2015 (NTCA).

    Read Also; Approve draft National Tobacco Control Regulation, NASS urged

    While opposing the N35m penalty, the representative Ministry of Trade, Francis Alaneme said, “This stringent measure will eventually lead to job loses and possible relocation of affected companies to neighbouring African countries as was the case with Dunlop and Michelin.

    “The massive job loses and social backlashes occasioned by the pull out of these manufacturing companies from Nigeria to Ghana and other neighbouring countries was as a result of unfriendly policies and harsh business environment.”

    MAN expressed same concern with emphasis on the fate of field workers if the bill is passed into law with the clause

    The Health Minister however, justified the licensing of tobacco dealers, noting that it is global best practice to take that path because of the wider positive effects on the society

    He said: “Licensing is an important strategy to control the supply chain of

  • Refusal to pay N975m was the beginning of my problem with Health Ministry, says NHIS boss

    The suspended Executive Secretary (ES) of the National Health Insurance Scheme  (NHIS), Professor  Usman Yusuf, claimed yesterday  that his refusal pay the Federal  Ministry of Health N975m for a job NHIS was not aware of was responsible for his current ordeal.

    He told  a House of Representatives  investigative public hearing on the crisis rocking NHIS that a  probe panel set up by the Health Ministry was meant to indict him.

    He alleged that the panel was  paid N19m from NHIS account.

    Yusuf, who made his presentation at the final day of the  Nicholas Ossai-led investigative  ad hoc panel  also regretted that Health Management Organizations  (HMOs) have not added value to the scheme despite drawing hugely from the funds.

    Health Minister  Isaac Adewole, in his submission through  the Permanent Secretary, Abdulaziz Abdullahi, said Yusuf was initially investigated and suspended on the strength  of petitions from workers and other stakeholders.

    He said the ES was accused of the unauthorised appointment of staff into the scheme,  incurring expenditures without due process, giving approval  above the threshold of the ES, flagrant disregard for due process in procurement matters, financial irregularities and award of contract with impunity.

    HMOs also accused Yusuf of blackmailing them into refunding monies that legally accrued to them back to  NHIS, in addition to the entire 59 HMOs being forced to patronise one insurance brokering firm.

    The HMOs also accused Yusuf of mismanaging  Information and Communications Technology  (ICT) fund meant to automate the activities of the organization.

    In his response, Yusuf said reference to the first investigation by the minister was an “ambush” because it had been dealt with.

    He, however, expressed  reservations over some of the allegations raised against him.

    Saying that his refusal  to release N975m to the Ministry of Health was the beginning of his problems with the ministry, the ES added, “This led to the setting up of a panel to probe me and the panel delivered as the panelists were given N19m and even the security too were given money.

    “My suspension was a preemptive coup against transparency. Why was I suspended on October 18 and not  October 19?   October 18 was the day I was going to present a result of the forensic audit of the activities of HMOs.

    “October 18 was nothing but preemptive coup at the NHIS. It was a gang-up to stop my fight against corruption”.

    He also refuted HMOs’ allegation of being blackmailed into making a refund to NHIS that was tied to accreditation as well as being forced to patronise a single brokering firm.

    According to him, the Department of State Services (DSS) had been investigating NHIS for corruption due to payments made in 2012 and that by 2017, he was sent a letter by DSS that the money should be recouped and should no more be paid to the HMOs and the ICT Department fixed to prevent future occurrence.

    “That’s what informed my vigour in collecting that money, ” he added.

    The suspended ES also explained that some tough measures adopted against HMOs were necessitated by the manipulation of the funds whereby the HMOs, since inception, have failed to bring in more people on board other than civil servants.

    He also said the policy of patronising a brokering firm was not his idea, adding that it was initiated before his assumption of duty in 2016.

    He said: “Why are the health providers not being paid by HMOs despite accessing money from NHIS?

    “I saw a huge number of insurance firms and I asked how come we have HMOs presenting to us advanced payment guarantee that will insure what we gave them.

    “How come they are not paying hospitals and we are having debts, N400m, an HMO is not paid, N300m in some cases?

    “I was curious, if you present me an advanced payment guarantee and I give you money, if you don’t pay, my problem is not with you but with the insurance company that gives that.

    “We have not been activating the advanced payment guarantee. So we looked at the consortium and what they used to do is to give the HMOs a N100m for an insurance of N10.00. Worthless.

    “On the ones we picked, there was a due process and a new consortium was put in place.

    “It was done in 2016 and a management deceit before I came”.

    He also refuted allegation of disregard for due process on financial management and procurement,  saying after the organization’s funds were swept into the Treasury Single Account (TSA), he had to open five sub accounts for the organisation for transparency.

    To further throw light on the issue, the  panel has summoned  the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, to give account of all they know about the agency.

    Chairman of the investigation panel, Ossai,  pledged  that the report of the exercise would be fair to all concerned.

  • 300 for free TY Danjuma Foundation, health ministry surgeries

    The TY Danjuma Foundation (TYDF) in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health has started running free surgical mission at the Federal Teaching Hospital in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi state capital.

    The programme is billed to take care of 300 indigent citizens.

    The free surgical mission was inaugurated by Deputy Governor Eric Kelechi Igwe before representatives of the government, local government officials and traditional leaders.

    He commended the Foundation and its founder, Lt. Gen. TY Danjuma, for giving back to the country, adding that the Ebonyi government was committed to supporting initiatives that would improve the lives of its citizens.

    The Grants and Partnership officer, Gima H. Forje, outlined the Foundation’s mission to Ebonyi state and the partnership with the health ministry, for the promotion of the health and well- being of indigent Nigerians.

    The two-week free surgical mission will end on June 21.

    The surgical procedures to be performed at FETHA for the 300 indigent patients include medium and intermediate surgical conditions like herniorrhaphy, cataract removal, hydrocelectomy and hemorrhoidectomy

  • Health Ministry’s guards protest over unpaid salaries

    Health Ministry’s guards protest over unpaid salaries

    Security men attached to the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) at Yaba, Lagos Mainland yesterday protested against the alleged non payment of their salaries for eight months.
    They blocked the entrance of the establishment for over three hours, chanting chanted ‘‘no pay, no work.’’
    The guards, who are mostly legionnaires, prevented workers and visitors from entering the building.
    A protester, Major Olusegun Jagundina (rtd), said they had not paid since August.
    The ministry, he said, promised to pay them but it has not.
    He said: “We wrote to them on February 14 giving two weeks ultimatum for them to pay us. We also had a protest on March 2, and they promised us from Abuja that they will pay our salary on or before March 10. We are surprised that till today, they have not paid us. We called them last week and they said they are meeting. The last thing we heard was that they said ‘no money’.
    “We are swimming in poverty in our homes; we have no money to take care of our families. We are Nigerians and the constitution does not allow government to owe workers salary, they are to pay workers as when due. Monthly salary is not meant to be owed. Our own case is the reverse, this is the eighth month we have not received salary. It is better that we protest so that the authority will know that we are suffering, so that they will listen to us and pay our salary.”
    He added: “We cannot continue to be a staff and be suffering. This is why we locked the gate and prevented all workers from entering the office, so that they can realise what we are suffering. We are doing our job with loyalty, we did not commit any sin nor did we commit any harm, so they must listen to us and pay us,” he said.
    Captain Gabriel Isijola (rtd) said: “From August last year till date, we have not been paid and it is affecting us. We cannot pay our children’s school fees, we cannot pay our landlord and we cannot feed. We have to borrow money which we never pay back. This is the eighth month that we have been suffering in silence. Everything is costly in the market; we have no kobo, so we are begging the FMoH in Abuja to come to our aid and pay us our salaries.”
    According to Lieutenant Napoleon Elure (rtd), they have been suffering while working without pay. He said: “Most of our wives are not happy with us; we have been given quit notices from our homes; it has not being easy for someone to be working for eight months without payment. We old soldiers cannot feed our families; it is bad, what are we old soldiers for?
    He said they had become liars because they have been borrowing, promising to pay without doing so.
    Elure said: “FMoH should please pay our money, we are old soldiers and we work selflessly for the community. They should put themselves in our shoes to see how we are suffering.”

    Lieutenant Simeon Ogwuche accused the ministry of always giving them false hopes, adding that they cannot continue the way things are.
    He said: “We cannot continue with unpaid salaries. As workers receive their salaries, let us also be paid. Nobody can survive without being paid eight months salary in this country. We have lost our respect with our wives and children, since we keep saying we don’t have money. It is like we are liars because we go to work every day. FMoH should stop owing us salaries.”

  • Chinese UN peacekeeper killed in escalating fighting in South Sudan

    Chinese UN peacekeeper killed in escalating fighting in South Sudan

    Casualties among UN peacekeepers including the death of a Chinese blue helmet occurred during the renewed fighting in South Sudan’s capital Juba on Sunday, a spokeswoman with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has confirmed.

    “The casualties involved one Chinese and Rwandese,” deputy spokesperson Shantel Persaud told Xinhua on Monday without disclosing the name of the victim.

    The Chinese blue helmet was killed on duty at the UNMISS Jebel base, while several other Rwandese peacekeepers were critically injured at the Tomping base near the airport, she said.

    She described the fighting on Sunday as “intensive,” and condemned the fresh violence in Juba that she said caused panic among civilians.
    The UNMISS reported some 1,000 internally displaced people fled from one of the UNMISS protection of civilians sites to its compounds in Jebel, which suffered small arms and heavy weapons fire.

    The UNMISS has run six such sites in various parts of Juba in the past two years, accommodating nearly 170,000 people seeking safety.
    The UN Security Council on Sunday issued a statement that “condemned in the strongest terms the escalation of fighting in Juba, South Sudan that started on July 7.”

    With sympathies and condolences to the families of Chinese and Rwandan peacekeepers killed or injured in the attacks, it expressed “particular shock and outrage” at the attacks on UN compounds and protection of civilians sites in Juba.

    Report says a UN peacekeeper from China was killed and six others were injured when the armoured vehicle carrying them was hit by a shell during a mission in Juba, capital of South Sudan, according to China’s Ministry of National Defence.

    The incident happened on Sunday evening local time as fighting between government and anti-government forces continued in Juba.

    South Sudan’s Health Ministry has confirmed 271 people were killed in Friday’s clashes between rival army factions outside the presidential palace in the capital Juba and there is renewed heavy fighting on Sunday.

    In a statement, the Health Ministry said those killed included 32 civilians, 5 police officers, 44 government troops and 190 soldiers of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-In Opposition (SPLM-IO) led by Vice President Riek Machar.

  • Adewole, Ehanire seek stakeholders collaboration on health

    Adewole, Ehanire seek stakeholders collaboration on health

    The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, has called for the collaboration of stakeholder to enable the ministry achieve the agenda of the President Muhammadu Buhari on health.

    Adewole made the call when he addressed newsmen shortly after he assumed duty with the Minister of State for Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, in Abuja on Wednesday.

    The minister, who held brief meeting with the directors, said “for the apex policy on health to be achieved, we need to work together and working together means we can make a huge difference.

    “We have been described as a generation that enjoyed better health when we were young than now and our aim is to bring back the health care system we enjoyed when we were young.’’

    Adewole said a number of restructuring would be carried out for the present administration to achieve its target on health.

    “There are quite a number of restructuring that we need to do to ensure that the next generation enjoy something better.

    “We will need to look at how we can work with other tiers of government, the secondary and primary health care system.

    “This means that we need to work with the state and local government, but the leadership will rest in the ministry and we will provide the direction,’’ he said.

    The minister also said that the women and child health care would be given adequate attention.

    He said this would be achieved by equipping the Teaching Hospitals and setting targets and roadmap in the next four weeks to enable us tells what had been achieved.

    Ehanire, on his part, said the aim of the present administration was to deliver health care services from the grassroots level to the federal.

    He said that the ministry had enormous challenge since health was important for everybody.

    The minister of state said that the ministry would work with what was on ground because of paucity of funds, adding that “the essence of efficiency is being able to manage things prudently’’.

    The new Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Amina Shamaki, pledged that the staff would give the ministers all the support they needed to succeed.