Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
The Honourable Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako has called for a mechanism that will ensure industrial peace and harmony amongst the various union bodies in the health sector. This was contained in a statement signed by Alaba Balogun, Deputy Director, Information and Public Relations.
Dr. Iziaq Salako made this call when he received members of the National Tertiary Health Institutions Standard Committe (NTHISC) on a courtesy visit.
The Honourable Minister of State highlighted the importance of achieving and sustaining industrial harmony in the Health sector, stressing, it is critical to the attainment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s agenda for improving health care services in the country.
A mechanism that will stop industrial actions in a crucial sector as health, Dr. Salako emphasized, is therefore key priority to rebuilding public confidence in health workers and the Government.
Riding on this submission, the Honourable Minister charged members of the NTHISC to initiate strategies in this direction to diffuse tension amongst the unions in the sector.
Speaking on financial constraints affecting the activities of the committee, he admonished members on financial independence for its sustainability. The Federal Government, he added, will assist the committee in initiating the right path.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Committee, Prof. Philip O. Abiodun said that a major challenge of the committee is funding and unequipped office accommodation; emphasizing the Ministry’s intervention in addressing these constraints is very critical and essential to achieving its mandate.
It is pertinent to state that the National Tertiary Health Institutions Standard Commitee, which comprise seasoned health professionals, was inaugurated last year in November.
It has a mandate to make relevant investigations and recommendations to the federal and state governments on tertiary health care services in the national interest; advise the federal government on the financial needs, both recurrent and capital of tertiary health services and, in particular investigate and study the financial needs for training, research and services.
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