The Nigerian Union of Allied Health
Professionals has urged the Federal Government to disregard any call for
the privatisation of public hospitals in the country.
The National President of the union, Dr.
Obinna Ogbonna, who addressed newsmen at the University College
Hospital, Ibadan on Wednesday, said the move would increase the cost of
health care delivery beyond what the masses could afford.
He also accused the Nigeria Medical Association of championing the call for privatisation of public hospitals.
Ogbonna said, “Members of the union
vehemently condemn the move by the government to privatise some
hospitals in Nigeria as being canvassed by medical practitioners. Health
care delivery is a social service that an average Nigerian should enjoy
as subsidised by the government. By the time this social service is
privatised, an average Nigerian will not be able to access and afford
health care services.
“It is alarming to note that some state
governments have started the concession of some general hospitals to
private investors, leading to loss of jobs and high cost of health care
services. The union frowns on this development and calls on such states
to rescind the action in the interest of peace and that of the masses.”
The
union also called on President Muhammadu Buhari not to appoint a member
of the NMA as the health minister, saying past members of the
association who had served as health ministers destabilised the sector.
“Since 1985 when the late Dr. Olikoye
Ransome-Kuti was appointed as health minister to the past minister,
Onyebuchi Chukwu, the Federal Ministry of Health has been bedevilled
with a series of industrial crisis due to poor administrative
performance by the ministers.
“The Decree 10 of 1985, which governs our
teaching hospitals, is being wrongly interpreted for selfish gains of
some people in the sector, leading to the introduction of discriminatory
remuneration packages in favour of medical practitioners. The union,
therefore, urge President Buhari to inject the needed change in the
health sector by appointing a member of NUAHP as the next health
minister,” Ogbonna added.
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