Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) has called for private sector investment in the health sector as the Federal Government strives to attain Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 9 adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015.
Osinbajo made the call on Wednesday during the state-of-the-art Modular Healthcare Facility (MHF) launch by Alpha Mead Healthcare Management Services at Gbagada General Hospital, Gbagada, Lagos.
The MHF is a customised, mobility-enhanced, prefabricated portacabin with detachable modules equipped with state-of-the-art clinical and diagnostic equipment designed to take quality healthcare services to the doorstep of all Nigerians.
Represented by the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Mrs Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, Osinbajo said the innovative MHF would help Nigeria attain the two vital SDGs.
“I want to commend Alpha Mead Healthcare Management Service Limited for this initiative. I applaud the company for harnessing its scientific and technological expertise to make this solution available for use in the country. It will go a long way in supporting our journey towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” he said.
Professor Osinbajo added that Alpha Mead’s MHF has “appropriately captured SDG Goal 9, which aims at building resilient infrastructure, promote industrialisation, and foster innovations across sectors including health, innovation, infrastructure, and new skill in technology development.”
Professor Osinbajo urged other private sector players to emulate Alpha Mead because its MHF would complement the government’s efforts at transforming medical diagnostics and reduce the barriers to access to quality healthcare in Nigeria.
Also speaking, Group Chairman, Alpha Mead Group, Mr Mutiu Sunmonu (CON), explained that the launch of the MHF confirmed that the company’s brand promise of ‘we care’ is not just a platitude but a living commitment that expresses its essence as an organisation.
He noted that access to quality healthcare is the greatest challenge in Nigeria’s health sector, but the Modular Healthcare Facility would help address this.
“A product that accelerates access, addresses manpower shortages, leverages technology and can be rolled out on a massive scale is what our healthcare sector needs, and we are happy to be leading this innovation,” he said.
The Group Managing Director, Alpha Mead Group, Femi Akintunde, who did a product presentation, disclosed that the MHF is equipped with a Radiology Information System, Picture Archiving Communication System (RISPACS), Enterprise Electronic Medical Records (EMR) and Telehealth infrastructure for real-time reporting of investigation and remote consultation.
The Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, who delivered a goodwill message; former Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, and several other players in the health and technology sectors attended the launch.