African leaders charged on adequate funding of health delivery system
African leaders who are currently meeting in Nigeria to find solutions to health related issues, especially HIV&AIDS and Malaria have been charged to ensure adequate funding of health delivery systems on the continent so as to discourage reliance on developed countries for medical treatment.National Chairman of West Africa College of Physicians, Dr. Ayodele Omotoso gave […]
African leaders who are currently meeting in Nigeria to find solutions to health related issues, especially HIV&AIDS and Malaria have been charged to ensure adequate funding of health delivery systems on the continent so as to discourage reliance on developed countries for medical treatment.
National Chairman of West Africa College of Physicians, Dr. Ayodele Omotoso gave the charge in Osogbo, Osun State, yesterday,
while unveiling activities lined up for 37th annual General Meeting of the College. Omotoso urged African leaders to make the development of their own health institutions their priority as he lamented that the lack of a budgetary line for training of consultants is worrisome.
His said, “it is unfortunate that the Nigerian populace does not have confidence in the ability of medical personnel on ground to deal with
their ailment. If we develop our health care system in Nigeria and fund health care adequately, there will be no need for medical tourism as being witnessed now.”
He added that the idea of depending on foreign medical treatment should be discouraged to avoid killing the health system of Africa and expressed the need for adequate funding of the College of Physician that was jointly established by West Africa countries.
Omotoso described overseas medical treatment by Africans as a drain to the continent’s economy and attributed the idea of seeking medical treatment outside Africa to lack of confidence in the ability of the personnel within the continent.
The three-day programme which will feature presentation of papers by experts in various fields, according to Dr. Omotoso will be declared
open by Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola.
Dr. Omotoso boasted that medical personnels in Africa are competent to deal with any ailment. He said it only requires African leaders to step up the health facilities to meet the standard of foreign countries.
He attributed what he described as ‘medical tourism’ especially by political office holders to undue access to public fund by some of those seeking medical treatment abroad adding that most of the ailments they travel abroad for, can be effectively treated at home.