There is urgent need for international donor agencies and other aid partners in the health sector to reconsider the need to extend their reach to the States in the South West region of the nation, so as to prevent any unforseen circumstances that could lead to outbreak of diseases in the region.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Babatunde Ipaye made the appeal at the ongoing 2019 budget appraisal before members of the State House of Assembly led by the Chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Hon Victor Fasanya at the Assembly Complex.
He explained that challenges being faced by some states in the Northern part of the country took the attention of the donor agencies, hence their concentration in those States. He sought the need to extend their operations to southern part of the nation to forestall any untoward situation.
According to Ipaye, there was need for time-to-time collaboration with foreign health partners and donors as developing nations like Nigeria needed the intervention of developed countries to fund their respective Primary Health Care services to achieve better health services for the people.
He commended the State House of Assembly for the accelerated passage of the State Health Insurance Scheme, which had been signed into law by Governor Ibikunle Amosun, describing it as a top rated essential health policy which would ensure mandatory coverage for all class of people in the social system when operational.
Ipaye noted that the speedy passage of the all-inclusive legislation was a major feat which had placed the State on good reckoning in the nation, expressing optimism for the implementation of more plans to consolidate on the scheme by the succeeding administration with a view to curbing huge payment at the point of service consumption.
He added that no developing nation could achieve efficiency in health sector if there was no mandated insurance scheme, pointing out that certain provisions of the law reinforced the structure of returning the management of resources to the citizenry towards achieving transparency and accountability.
Also, the Managements of the State Hospital Management Board, Primary Health Care Development Board, State Hospitals, Sokenu, Isara, Ota and Ilaro presented their budget performance before the lawmakers.
