•Minister tasks lab scientists, students on health challenges
Festus Akanbi in Lagos and Seriki Adinoyi in Jos
A comprehensive analysis of the 2024 budgets of the 36 states showed that Kano, Kaduna, Yobe, Abia, and Bauchi states are on top of the list of states with higher health expenditure with figures ranging between 15 per cent and 16.5 per cent of their total budgets allocated to healthcare initiatives in these states.
This is coming as the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Tunji Alausa has charged Laboratory Scientists and students to keep abreast with ever-evolving challenges and advancements in technology and medical knowledge that are continually reshaping the landscape.
According to the analysis, some states significantly lag in their health budgets contrary to the 2021 African Union (AU) Health Expenditure benchmark, otherwise known as the Abuja Declaration.
Official statistics showed that Kwara, Ekiti, and Niger states allocated less than two per cent of their budgets to health, indicating potential challenges in healthcare accessibility and infrastructure development.
“Kwara State, for instance, allocated 0.17 per cent of its budget to health, signalling potential challenges in healthcare delivery and infrastructure development,” the stakeholders in the health sector have revealed.
The stakeholders also applauded the states that met the 15 per cent healthcare budget and called for adequate funding of the health sector in the country.
A Health Economist and Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist at Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN), Mrs Maimuna Abdullahi, said that citizens in states with lower health budget allocations should demand their rights to better healthcare by taking several actions.
“Use social media, community meetings, and grassroots campaigns to spread awareness,” she said, adding that they should form advocacy groups focusing on healthcare issues.
These groups, she said, could organise rallies, petition government officials, and engage in advocacy to demand increased healthcare funding.
On her part, a lawyer in the FCT, Mrs Tina Atala, said that people at the grassroots should explore legal avenues such as filing lawsuits or seeking legal advice to challenge inadequate healthcare funding.
Atala said that the people needed to mobilise collectively to demand better healthcare services.
Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Alausa has charged Laboratory Scientists and students to keep abreast with ever-evolving challenges and advancements in technology and medical knowledge that are continually reshaping the landscape.
Represented by Dr. Janet Agba at a combined ceremony for orientation of Fellowship of West African Postgraduate College of Medical Laboratory Science, Orientation of Medical Laboratory Technicians, and matriculation of newly admitted students of Federal College of Medical Laboratory Science and Technology (FCMLST) Jos, the minister noted that medical laboratory scientists play a vital role in the healthcare system.
Urging the students to remain steadfast in their commitment to lifelong learning, the minister charged them to, “embrace new technologies, stay abreast of emerging trends, and never lose sight of the importance of compassion and empathy in your interaction with patients.”
The Provost of the college, Prof. Sunday Etukudoh, in his remarks, called for prayers and total support for President Bola Tinubu-led administration as it seeks better ways to solve Nigeria’s education and healthcare problems.
He observed that Nigeria has been be-deviled in recent years by a plethora of healthcare cases of COVID-19, Anthrax, and Lassa fever, amongst others, adding that the pains of petroleum subsidy removal, and insecurity (including mindless killings and kidnapping) are additional challenges that have shaped the way things are viewed and done in the country.
In his submission, the Registrar/ CEO of the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN), Dr. Tosan Erhabo encouraged the new students to continue to learn and develop themselves professionally to be able to cope with the rigors of technology advances.
Represented by Mrs. Ugochi Akangosir the Registrar stated that anything short of continuous development would make them inconsequential in the scheme of things.
Also speaking, the Registrar/Secretary-General, West African Postgraduate College of Medical Laboratory Science, Dr. Godswill Okara on behalf of the Regional Council, congratulated the FCMLST, Jos for the successful accreditation for training in seven Faculties of the College and equally congratulated the first batch of Fellowship trainees.
