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PharmAcess, others advocate PPP model for better care delivery

By Adaku Onyenucheya
02 May 2019   |   2:59 am
The Country Director, PharmAcess Foundation, Ndili Njide, and other stakeholders in the health sector have called for the adopted of a Public-Private-Partnership model as a catalyst in delivering quality healthcare in Nigeria. She said rather than leaving it in the hands of the government, who cannot solve the burden of the health sector alone, it…

Healthcare

The Country Director, PharmAcess Foundation, Ndili Njide, and other stakeholders in the health sector have called for the adopted of a Public-Private-Partnership model as a catalyst in delivering quality healthcare in Nigeria.

She said rather than leaving it in the hands of the government, who cannot solve the burden of the health sector alone, it is essential the private and public sector collaborate to harness resources and ensure the health system works for the benefit of Nigerians.

Njide stated this at a policy dialogue organised by PharmAccess Foundation in collaboration with Nigeria Healthwatch themed: “Disrupting Healthcare: PPPs as a model adoption for health system strengthening in Nigeria”, which highlighted the importance of a multi-stakeholder approach in developing innovative models to maximize efficiency and access to quality healthcare as well as invest in healthcare infrastructure, enabling governments to further allocate scarce resources more effectively towards improving health outcomes and fostering economic growth by reverting medical tourism.

Njide said the PPPs strategy is capable of covering the infrastructural challenges in the health sector, noting that the fund government is appropriating in the budget is clearly not enough, stressing that the federal and state governments will have to collaborate with the private sector to fill this gap.

“The purpose of the PPPs in the health sector is to try different solutions to break these cycles of challenges. The aim is to disrupt the health care system in a positive way. Universal health coverage can only be achieved through quality and affordable health care delivery.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, in a panel discussion on ‘Financing Healthcare Projects’ said the old methods of delivering health care where government shoulders all the responsibilities could no longer work again, as there is no government in Nigeria that is adequately funding the health sector.

According to him, “We have public health issues that people don’t even focus on, and the disease pattern is changing, resources are not available. There is no govt in this country that is adequately funding the health sector, and everyone wants quality and efficient service delivery. At the primary care level, I can tell you we have at least 120 wards with no facility at all and there are people leaving there, we have 64 slum areas in Lagos that have no health facility and we have private sector people in those areas who can perform these function. There must be partnership, and that is the way forward,” Idris said.

Also, a Business Development Director at Medical Credit Fund, Mr Olufisayo Okunsanya, said in as much as global partners were willing to fund health care in Nigeria, trust and accountability was needed to ensure that the money were spent for the right reasons.

The Director, independent Verification Agent for saving one million lives – Nigeria, Olaokun Soyinka, said the healthcare system in Nigeria needs a steady financial flow, adding that government needs to first understand, and create mechanism that ensures steady financial flow in the health sector.

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