A Public Health Physician, Dr. Bosede Rotimi, on Thursday, said that for Kwara Government to achieve Universal Health Coverage for its masses, it needs to address the issue of shortage of doctors.
While speaking at the 2021 Annual General Meeting of the Nigeria Medical Association in Kwara, she recommended that the state government must address the issue of 900 doctors who are currently attending to 3.5 million people.
In her paper presentation which was entitled, ‘Journey to achieving UHC; an appraisal of healthcare delivery in Kwara: challenges, prospects and practicable solutions’, she explained that the 2020 indices translated to about 0.26 percent to 1,000 patients, adding that this is not good enough.
Rotimi observed that the doctor-to-patient density, weak human resources, as well as poor regulation of healthcare practices in the state needed to be addressed.
Meanwhile, the expert added that despite these challenges, the state had recorded success and reached some milestones through the establishment of Community Based Health Insurance Scheme and the Kwara Health Insurance Scheme.
Rotimi noted that the state government through the state’s Primary Healthcare Development Agency and Social Investment Programme has revamped the healthcare system in the state.
She stressed that all individuals and communities need to receive health services without suffering financial hardship.
“It includes the full spectrum of essential, quality health services from health promotion to prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care across the life course.
“The delivery of these services require adequate and competent health and care workers with optimal skills mix at facility, outreach and community level, and who are equitably distributed, adequately supported and enjoy decent work,” she said.
The public health physician explained that UHC strategies enable everyone to access the services that address the most significant causes of disease and death, and ensure that the quality of those services were good enough to improve the health of the people who receive them.
“Achieving UHC is one of the targets the nations of the world set when adopting the SDGs in 2015,” she said.
The expert advised the state to strengthen laws that favour UHC such as Primary Health-Care Under One-Roof, Health Insurance Scheme and Community Based Insurance Scheme and Social Investment Programme.
“There is a need for the state to engage in Public-Private Partnership to finance healthcare service delivery and also capacity building for improved healthcare delivery,” she further suggested.
The Informant247 Nigeria News