The Chief Medical Director of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Prof. Adetokunbo Fabamwo, has called on the Federal Government to prioritize the health sector in order to save it from total collapse.He said, “I believe we have enough resources to run a healthy health sector. It is a matter of priority. If the government at all levels decides to rejuvenate the health sector, I’m sure it will look for the resources. We are not a poor country.
“We must review the wages in the health sector to ensure that health workers are well paid and that they are able to afford the basic things in life,” he said.
He also insisted that an emergency must be declared in the health sector for it to bounce back to life.
He said, “We must declare a national emergency in the health sector. An emergency means there are certain urgent measures that must be taken. It doesn’t have to pass through so many processes like the everyday Nigerian laws.”
The Chairman of the guild, Dr Saheed Babajide, also said that the shortage of health practitioners in the country was caused by the poor attitude of most Nigerian employers to the welfare of their staff.
“There is inadequacy and shortage of health workers in the country. And this is mainly caused by the treatment they get from their employers. A health worker should not be mistaken for a beggar in the society and government interference in the health sector must reduce,” he said.
Source: Punch Nigeria
