As Nigeria marked Democracy Day yesterday, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Oyo State Chairman, Dr. Happy Adedapo, has urged governments to improve on the budgetary allocation to the health sector.
Adedapo made the call in an interview in Ibadan.
He said that the budgetary allocation to the health sector, both at the Federal and State levels, was very poor.
“The standard is that not less than 15 per cent should be allocated to the health sector but no government has exceeded even 10 per cent over the years.
“So, there is need for our governments to reconsider what they allocate to health sector for more efficient healthcare system in the country,” he said.
He advised the government to put frameworks in place that would ensure that whatever money released should get to the end users.
Adedapo urged government to be paying rural allowance for doctors to be motivated to work in rural areas.
“Government should find a way to get its institutions to generate their own electricity because facilities such as steady power supply is necessary in hospitals.
“Let health workers be equipped with the adequate equipment to work with.
“Government should dedicate fund for the training and retraining of health workers,” he said.
Adedapo said that the Oyo state government had to some extent, improved on the primary healthcare aspect, enrollment of more people in the Oyo state health insurance scheme, among others.
According to him, there is still a long way to go for the health sector in the state.
“Doctors in the state teaching hospital(Ladoke Akintola Teaching Hospital) are not well treated.
“The institution was designed to compete with the premier hospital in Ibadan but over the years, political games had been played there.
“The doctors in that place have not been paid their medical residency training fund, apart from their hazard allowance that was improved on, no other thing, no minimum wage paid; the doctors have likely left the country.
“Those left are being overworked and burdened. The state government should do its best to sustain the place and workers,” Adedapo said.