By Laleye Dipo in Minna
Following the increase in health challenges, especially in the primary health sector, the Permanent Secretary, Niger state Ministry of Health, Dr Umaru Tiffin, has called for increased budgetary allocation to the ministry.
The Permanent Secretary’s request followed a disclosure on Monday that allocation to the sector had dropped from N5.49 billion in 2011 to N3.85 billion in 2015.
The revelation was at a one day stakeholders’ meeting on “Adequate Funding for the Health Sector in the 2017” organized by a non-governmental organization, “Civil Society Scaling -Up Nutrition in Nigeria.”
Tiffin stated that most activities in the health sector “are intangible,” which most politicians often did not like, but said investment in the health of the people “is as important if not more important than constructing gigantic edifices”.
However, he advised health care managers in the state to make good and judicious use of the little amount being given to the sector to better the Health of the ordinary people.
” Despite the low budgetary allocation to the Ministry we should justify what we have been given by applying such money to the purpose
Intended”.
