Tinubu To Pate: Talk Less, Act More To Evolve Reforms In Health Sector

President Bola Tinubu has told the Minister of Health, Dr Ali Pate, to speak less about the challenges facing the health sector, but engage with development partners to evolve new reforms that would improve the health and well being of Nigerians.

The President, who spoke when he had  audience with the Minister at the State House, Abuja, specifically directed Pate to pursue a very ambitious sector-wide programme that would improve population health outcomes, using the basic healthcare provision fund as a basis for reviving the nation’s primary health care system.

The President also told the Minister to explore ways of seamless working relationship between state governments and community leaders, traditional leaders to ensure that Nigerians get better quality services to deal with health issues bothering them, be it malaria, immunisation, maternal and child health, reproductive health, among others.

Pate who met with the President alongside  a development partner with Susan-Buffett foundation, Prof Seniat Fisseha, assured that going forward, plans were on to design social action fund aimed at reaching communities.

He said government would work to get the trust of the community dwellers, through which they will be empowered and supported to solve issues that are very simple but afflicting many of the people at the grassroots level. 

Speaking with newsmen after meeting with the President,  the Minister  said: “While having an audience with the President, we discussed some important issues regarding the health and social well being of Nigerians. As we all know, the President is very committed and has directed that we do all that we can to improve the health and well being of all Nigerians as part of his renewed hope agenda. ⁣

⁣”Accordingly, in recent days he has approved three important steps for us to move forward with that and has asked us to talk less and do more. And in that spirit he in fact, has asked us to pursue a very ambitious sector-wide programme to improve population health outcomes, using the basic healthcare provision fund as a basis for reviving our primary health care system, working with state governments and community leaders, traditional leaders to ensure that Nigerians get better quality services to deal with the issues that bother them, whether it’s malaria, whether it’s immunisation, maternal and child health, reproductive health, those are elements that have a direct bearing on the health and well being of Nigerians with the State governments and with our development partners. ⁣

“So, that sector-wide program is underway and our visitor today is committed to working with us in that, to work with countries system’s not set up parallel systems. And we’re very glad that the Susan-Buffett foundation is willing to partner with the Government of Nigeria to advance the health and well being of all, especially our adolescent girls and women. ⁣

“The second item is to unlock the value chain in the healthcare space. Mr President has also approved an initiative presidential initiative to unlock the healthcare value chain, that will help drive the medical industrialisation agenda with clear targets.

“It will require public sector-private sector working hand in hand. Government do what it needs to do to provide the enabling environment and the private sector getting his act together to ensure that we produce the things that are critical for the health and well being of Nigeria while creating economic value and creating jobs”.

Deji Elumoye in Abuja 

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