President Goodluck Jonathan has inaugurated a Committee of Experts to look into Inter-Professional Relationships in the Public Health Sector.
Disturbed by the frequent acrimony among professionals working in the nation’s health sector, the President said the issued must be addressed once and for all in order to promote efficiency.
He expressed confidence that the committee headed by a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Yayale Ahmed, would do a thorough job so that there can be harmony among health professionals forthwith.
His words, “This state of acrimony has compromised efficiency, effectiveness and proper coordination that thus resulting in health delivery that has not met our administration’s expectations. The direct victims of this unacceptable state of affairs are our people who at the end of the day complain bitterly.
“The health sector is a cardinal priority of our transformation agenda because it is only healthy people that can work. Attainment of the universal health coverage and the provision of comprehensive health care for all our citizens is a goal we have set for ourselves.
“It is in recognition of this commitment and our determination to actualise the health related goals of the Millennium Development Goals that I decided to set up the Presidential Committee of Experts on Inter Professional Relationships in the Public Health Sector to check the drift in our health care delivery system.
“This committee comprising distinguished and accomplished Nigerians including health and non health professionals is expected to look into all the issues mitigating against cohesion and cohesiveness in the health sector and come up with objective and practical solutions.
“I am confident that given the worthy antecedents of the men and women whom we have selected to constitute this committee, they will make a success of this national assignment. The key thing is how our various health practitioners from the medical doctors, pharmacists, nurses, laboratory technologists and the scientists and including the administrators, accountants will work together to make sure that the health service delivery in the country is not threatened”.
Speaking, chairman of the committee, Mr. Ahmed thanked President Jonathan for the privilege to come and serve the nation once again, assuring that they would discharge their duties in the interest of the nation.
“It is one of the cardinal principles of this administration to see that the health sector is permanently brought back on course. One would remember the time when doctors, nurses, pharmacists all spoke with one voice, but because of career progression and wanting to always head positions for reasons other than professionalism things became haywire.
“We would not be selfish and we would not take sides, we will with all the tenets given to the members of the committee bring out a solution. By the time we present our report Your Excellency we hope that this pimple who refused to disappear from the face of the beautiful lady (which is the health sector) will be a thing of the past, because all these acrimony will disappear”, he assured.
Also on the committee are: Professor Placid Njoku, Dr. Timiebi Koripamo-Agary, Julius Adelusi and Professor Dennis Agbolahun.
