Commissioner for Health in Kwara State and trained Physician with specialisation in strategic management, ATOLAGBE ALEGE, in this interview with SIKIRAT SHEHU, speaks on what Nigeria needs to do to discourage health tourism, current developments in Kwara state amidst other matters arising. Excerpts:
How can you assess activities of Kwara state government as regards quality healthcare delivery?
The Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has passion for health and wants good quality health care for people and by this; we have been able to achieve a lot. In terms of health care and services, the administration in Kwara State gave priority and attention to the health of the people. Health is a fundamental human right, and that is why His Excellency ensures that Kwarans do not go beyond 500 meters before accessing health care facilities. The Ministry also has ensured that with the facilities available, citizens receive qualitative health services. 213 health workers in all, ranging from health consultants to cleaners were secured for efficient health service providers in our general and cottage hospitals. Fund is generally affecting the whole country and that is the only challenge we have, but thanks to the government with their support which has led to the landmark achievements. The state recently received award through the state Health Insurance Scheme by Pharm Access Foundation, Netherland. This has intervention for eye programme with MTN for surgical and free eye treatment which attracted 2,000 patients from within and neighbouring states like Cross River, Niger, Osun States and so on. Moreover, during the outbreak of Lassa fever, we prepared greatly as we were able to set up our isolation centre in Sobi Specialist Hospital and thank God for Kwara people and the support from his Excellency, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, we do not have any record of Lassa fever.
Kwara state’s intervention on Ebola and Zika viruses
When Ebola and Zika viruses occurred, based on continuous monitoring and evaluation we embarked upon, we did our best to keep Kwara state safe, because were able to effectively procure drugs for prevention of the infections, thus, we conquered both viruses and Kwara till today has zero record of the deadly diseases. For an institution like this to be able to achieve, there must be focus on how to be on top of the gear to develop the state socially and infrastructurally.
Other areas of healthcare improvement in Kwara
The recruitment of health workers, renovation of General Hospitals, mostly our counterpart funding for Community Health Insurance Programme and some of UNICEF assistance and partnership programmes really helped us greatly. Recently, His Excellency approved N23 million for procurement of two dialysis machines for treatment of kidney problems. The machines are on ground and supply is already in the General Hospital Ilorin and very soon, people will start benefiting from it. We have also improved in essential drugs and other equipments. Also, USAID/ Engender Health Care donated medical equipment for fistula treatment and other maternal child health cases. We have been able to participate in the health programmes both within the State and at the Federal level, saving one million lives going by the programme implementation during the Lassa fever outbreak.
The federal government recently disclosed that all states of the federation have been given N420 million each for the improvement of primary health care service delivery in the country, has Kwara state received its own share? How is it going to be spent to improve on health care delivery in the state?
Kwara is one of those states that have completed all their papers and we have been credited the amount of $1.5 million equivalent to N420 million. The program is tagged ‘Save One Million Lives’ a programme for result, performance base. We are going to utilize the fund judiciously as we are focusing on the programmes concerning immunization, HIV/AIDS, provision of HIV kits, fistula treatments among others. Likewise all local government areas in the state would be provided with adequate awareness campaign. We will soon start the programme in Kwara state as the governor has given the Ministry the go ahead and ready to support us. I promise that the fund would be used for its intent ‘saving one million lives program’.
Medical tourism and the need for awareness to start at the state and local government level, what is your take on this?
I am strongly against medical tourism because I believe in every field of medical science; we have competent people in this county. Those that can perform well, in fact, it is sad on health issues, we have practitioners that are doing greatly in Nigeria. So, I believe if our government continues to develop our infrastructure and sees need towards improvement of healthcare delivery, this will stop medical tourism. Even despite that for now, we have so many competent physicians and good hospitals that can handle some of those cases in the country. If you go to our Teaching Hospitals in Nigeria you will discover new innovations from the hospitals and health providers that are doing well in the areas of medical sciences. Our own General Hospital that was renovated recently in Kwara State, those that came for surgical intervention from Australia, India and America, when they got to General Hospital Ilorin with these new equipments and infrastructure they met on ground, they were impressed.
Though, Federal Government is trying, there is need to improve to foster development in the health sector. Thus, I do not believe in medical tourism. In other words, for health intervention, sharing of knowledge research and training are what you cannot do alone in your country, you need to interact with other countries, liaise with them because universal health coverage is a system whereby all the health systems throughout the world will work under the same umbrella to give better and accurate healthcare delivery to the people of the whole world.
Message to health practitioners
Health practitioners that are ready to develop the system should be focused so they can achieve positive results and continue rendering adequate services to our people however in Kwara state, we remain committed towards ensuring better healthcare delivery to our people.
SIKIRAT SHEHU
