Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
The Federal Government has strengthened its efforts to make quality healthcare services accessible and affordable to Nigerians with the commissioning of ultra modern medical equipment. This was contained in a statement signed by Alaba Balogun, Head, Information and Public Relations.
The Honourable Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare Dr, Iziaq Adekunle Salako stated during his official visit and commissioning of ultramodern clinical services building and ward extension complex at the Federal Medical Centre Jabi, Abuja federal capital city.
In his keynote address, Dr Salako highlighted that the provision of a well-equipped 64 bedded facility and a new ultra modern clinical services building featuring a dedicated renal unit with 18 hemodialysis beds alligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s agenda.
While explaining the commitment of the present administration to invest heavily in the health sector, the Honourable Minister of State stated that the Federal Medical Centre Jabi is an exemplar of government’s determination to reverse the direction of medical tourism.
“With these new additions, the tertiary health care system in our country is being strengthened and the need to travel outside the country for some critical care service like kidney transplantation is being addressed”; Dr. Salako added.
Emphasizing the critical importance of effective and accessible healthcare by Nigerians, he further asserted that the federal government’s initiative to make dialysis care more affordable is yielding positive outcomes.
“The government last year commenced an initiative to bring down the cost of dialysis by about 80% in 10 selected federal tertiary health institutions across the 6 geopolitical zones of the country.
Going forward, the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, is now a good candidate to join the implementation of this initiative. ”
Elaborating further, Dr. Salako added, though, a temporary measure, the affordability challenge around health care services will be more sustainably addressed via other deliberate initiatives of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the health sector.
These, he stated, include unlocking the value chain, removal of tariffs on pharmaceuticals, and the expansion of the National Health Insurance coverage.
In his welcome address, the Medical Director Federal Medical Centre Jabi Abuja, Prof. Saad Ahmed affirmed that aside from delivering quality healthcare, it also serves as a training centre for doctors, nurses, laboratory scientists, physiotherapists, and medical students from Baze University, Abuja
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