No Nigerian Should Die From Treatable Ailments – Akpabio

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has appealed for urgent reforms in the nation’s healthcare system, declaring that quality medical care is not a privilege but a fundamental right of every Nigerian.

Akpabio reiterated the Senate’s commitment to providing all citizens with accessible and effective healthcare services at the Senate Committee on Health (Secondary & Tertiary) public hearing on Thursday.

In his address through the Deputy Senate leader, Oyetola Ashiru, the Senate President lamented the current state of the nation’s healthcare system.

Every preventable death, he said, represents both the loss of life and a nation’s greatness, which he referred to as a “failure we must refuse to accept,” underscoring this.

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“Whenever a Nigerian dies from a treatable ailment, we do not merely lose a life, we lose a dream, a future, and a piece of our nation’s greatness.

” We must resolve, with unyielding determination, that no more lives shall be lost due to lack of facilities, no more families shall grieve due to lack of hope, and no more compatriots shall perish due to lack of medical expertise, “he stated.

The Senate President also cited the increasing number of people being forced to travel for treatment by foreigners and the widespread exodus of Nigerian doctors.

He argued that Nigeria must create a self-sufficient healthcare system that retains its best talents and provides high-quality medical care at home, and he criticized this situation as unacceptable.

We have watched as our citizens forced to travel abroad in search of care when they have conditions that need to be treated at home. We do not want to leave our children in this world. This is not the Nigeria that we had sworn to serve, “Akpabio stated.

The public hearing focused on several key bills under consideration, aimed at revamping the country’s secondary and tertiary healthcare institutions, among which are:

• In order to address the rising number of blind cases and provide specialized eye care for Nigerians, National Eye Centers were established in Adamawa and Kogi States.
• To provide advanced care for trauma-related conditions and musculoskeletal conditions, the federal orthopaedic hospital was established.
• Federal Medical Centers Act (Amendment) Bill, to enhance service delivery and upgrade federal medical centers across the country.

Source: Channels TV