The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has urged the Federal Government of Nigeria to invest more in healthcare delivery to ensure child survival and wellbeing of all Nigerians.
The UNICEF Country Representative, Mr Peter Hawkins, while speaking during the inauguration of the South West Traditional Leaders’ Committee on Primary Health Care Delivery set up by the Federal Ministry of Health in collaboration with National Primary Health Care Development Board urged the government to do more and make healthcare services available and accessible to the citizens.
Represented by Dr Muhammed Okorie at the inauguration, which was performed by the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, on Thursday at the palace of the Ooni of Ife, in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Hawkins urged the government to take good care of health workers so that they would carry out their duties efficiently.
The inauguration was attended by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, and top traditional rulers in the South West, including the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetinji.
In his address, the minister said that the federal government had concluded plans to build 36 new model primary healthcare centres in all states across the country to boost healthcare delivery.
He sought the cooperation of traditional rulers in the region towards achieving the objectives of the administration of the President Muhammadu Buhari on healthcare services.
Ehanire said the new model primary healthcare centers across the country would contain all necessary facilities and staff with competent want workers to make them run effectively and efficiently.
He said this will bring quality healthcare services close to the people and that the traditional rulers would decide where the new model primary healthcare centers would be located.
While commending the federal government and the minister for the initiative, Oba Ogunwusi urged Ehanire to address the demands of the medical doctors that are on strike and ensure that they end the strike.