Nigeria’s Science Tech Minister urges Private Sector Partnership In Advancing Nation’s Health Care System

Posted by Ignatius Okpara Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Friday, March 26th, 2021

……Harp On Use Of Modern Technology

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Nigeria’s Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, has stressed the need for the involvement of the organized private sector (OPS) in the modernization and advancement of the nation’s health care delivery system, even as he emphasised on the use of modern technology in rebuilding the system

He said “We must involve the organized private sector OPS, to play an active role in the modernization of health care delivering system in the country” adding that the sector should come in a big way to build and manage hospitals

“Nigerian investors, both home and Diaspora, will have to be provided with incentives, including tax holidays to establish hospitals in many parts of the country. Every effort should be made to encourage the private sector to invest in the health sector, such hospitals, will then compete with public hospitals, so that our citizens can get quality and best available service

The Minister stated this Thursday in a key note address he delivered at a National Conference on National Health issues in Nigeria organized in Enugu by a non governmental organization, Millennium Center For training, (MCTL) and Leadership, with headquarters in Lagos, South West Nigeria

Dr. Onu, also advised on the need for the nation to effectively utilize Technology in rebuilding its health care system as obtained in other parts of the globe, both developed and developing, saying “it will help us increase national productivity, improve Gross Domestic e Product (GDP), create jobs as well as strengthen naira, and significantly reduce poverty

According to the Minister, such idea would equally encourage brain Gain in the sector by reducing emigration of medical personnel from Nigeria. “This will help guarantee socio- economic stability and consequently enhance national security

He noted that Nigeria as a nation has enormous potentials to have an excellent health care system that can create enough wealth for the country, via medical tourism from patients in Africa and beyond. All these are benefits we can derive by the use of Technology in the health sector for sustainable and inclusive national development

“I see a future where no Nigerian who is sick will like to travel outside the country for medical treatment . I also see a future where foreigners from far and near will come to our dear country to receive medical treatment. I see a future where Technology will play a very important role in rebuilding our health care system” Onu prophesized

The Minister posited that no nation, whether advanced, or advancing, including Nigeria, can make any meaningful headway in any sector including, health without embracing Science Technology

“Today, nation’s, both big and small found in all the Continents of the world have made very rapid development in recent times, have done so through effective application of technology

“Singapore, Israel, Japan South- Korea, China and India, are good examples. The effective linkage between Science and Technology with a good health care delivery system is such that throughout human history, the nation leading the world at any given time, has always had about the best hospitals, attracting the sick from other parts of the world

The Minister added that “all nations recognize the very important role which an efficient health care system plays in their development . Every nation needs healthy citizens to run factories, for rapid industrialization, work on their farms, to guarantee food security, build and maintain their infrastructure, for efficient, effective and sustainable development. This is why every nation applied science and Technology to help guarantee good health for their citizens

In his remark at the event Chaired by Nigeria’s Ex- Minister of Power and former Vice Chancellor (VC), University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), professor Chinedu Nebo, president of (MCTL), Prince Okey-Joe Onuakalusi, said the Conference was put together by his organization to thoroughly examining the form and substance of issues affecting Nigeria’s health sector with a view to proffering solutions to the malady.

He noted that throughout history, technology whether ancient or modern gas been a useful and effective interventionist instruments for transformation of various sectorial economies of many countries, hence the urgent need to deploy same technological arterials to make Nigeria health sector more efficient, effective and accessible

Onuakalusi, explained that the theme of the Conference: “Technology, As a Bridge For Health Security, Socio- Economic Stability And Brain Gain” is apt in view of the Global pandemic Covid 19, that has not only traumatized the world, but battered it’s economies like no other in the last 50 years or more than any other disease

Our Correspondent who covered the Conference reports that some of the discussants at the event attended by health experts from various parts of Nigeria included, professor Basden Onwubere, who is the Chairman, National Centre of Excellency for Cardio thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Dr. Uche Unigwe Head, Infectious Diseases Department and Coordinator University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Covid 19 management team, amongst others