Prof. Oladapo Ladipo, a representative of the Civil Societies Coalition, on Monday urged the Federal Government to implement the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) to enable Nigerians have access to quality health care services.
Ladipo made the call at the Ministerial Health Sector Media Engagement on the Path to Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Abuja.
According to him, health care delivery should focus on prevention management.
“When we focus on preventing some of the diseases, we will have less work to do in the health sector and we do not have to spend much resources on treatment of diseases,’’ he said.
He commended the federal government for the recent launch of the National Health Promotion Policy which would ensure that a large number of Nigerians had access to quality health care service delivery.
“The National Health Promotion Policy will enable all Nigerians to have access to health care services irrespective of their location.
“We pledge our support to advocate for good health care facilities to the populace. We would ensure that women and children have access to good family planning services,’’ he said.
Oladipo called on government to place high importance on the health care sector.
`The health care sector in a country is a means of determining how developed the economy of the country is at a given point in time.
“ If we look at developed economies, they always prioritise health.
“The government is always responsible for health care management. In our country, the approach is different, we need to be proactive,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that Nigeria’s commitment to Universal Health Coverage (UHC) had been symbolised by the passage of the National Health Act of 2014, section 11, which mandated the establishment of a Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF).
The National Health Act established the BHCPF as the vehicle for providing a basic minimum package of health services for all Nigerians as defined by the Minister of Health.
To ensure the achievements of goals and objectives of the fund, a governance and administration mechanism shall be established at the national, state and facility level. (NAN)
