Why illegality thrives in Nigeria’s health sector – Minister

Minister of State for Health, Dr. Tunji Alausa, says more than 60 percent of Nigeria’s healthcare is in the hands of the private sector without adequate supervision.

This, he said, bred illegal practices like organ harvesting among others.

To address this, he said the federal government would soon come up with legislation that would regulate the healthcare sector to eliminate quacks and ensure improved service delivery.

Alausa stated this on Friday when he paid a courtesy call on the governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun at the Presidential Lodge, Abeokuta.

He decried the unwholesome practice where untrained people are allowed to operate in the health sector.

“We will be pushing for a new regulation to regulate the healthcare sector as more than 60 per cent of the nation’s healthcare is in the hands of the private sector without adequate supervision.

“You see hospitals, laboratories, and diagnostic centres being run without anybody checking on what they are doing and these are some of the places where illegal practices like organ harvesting are taking place.

“What we are going to do at the federal level is to set up a Health Facility Regulatory Commission that will start regulating the standard of health care across the country and we expect the states to set up their own regulatory bodies as well,” he said.

Alausa also hinted that the federal government was planning to start a programme that would increase the production of healthcare providers, beginning with the admission of 10,000 medical students every year, while admission for nurses would increase from 28,000 to 68,000, annually.

Throwing more light on the Sectoral Approach Programme launched by President Bola Tinubu, the minister explained that one percent of the consolidated fund was for Basic Health Provision, 55 percent for Primary Healthcare Centres, and 45 percent for National Health Insurance, while five percent went into Emergency Services.

Responding, Governor Abiodun, said his administration would not hesitate to replicate any federal government action aimed at eliminating quackery in the health sector.

“Let me assure you that in terms of the regulation that would allow for tighter regulatory functions over medical practitioners to prevent quackery, we will not hesitate to replicate at the state level.

“We are one of the two states that have put in place a board for alternative medicine because we realized that a lot of our people, especially pregnant women, are patronizing traditional birth attendants. We regulate and certify them to ensure we have some form of oversight in their activities,” Abiodun explained.