Pharmacists want Gov Imoke to reverse concession of hospitals

They warned that the concession of health facilities in the state will bring about intractable legal issues and rot in the health system.Speaking over the weekend, Chairman of PSN in the state, Paul Agbulu said private owners are more concerned with making profit at the detriment of excellence, maintaining that the concession will pave way […]

They warned that the concession of health facilities in the state will bring about intractable legal issues and rot in the health system.
Speaking over the weekend, Chairman of PSN in the state, Paul Agbulu said private owners are more concerned with making profit at the detriment of excellence, maintaining that the concession will pave way for sharp practices.
He added that it will create an avenue for incursions of fake and counterfeit drugs.
“Business firms do not have the technical, financial and capacity for training of hospital pharmacists”, he said.
Agbulu said some of the repercussions will be the obvious challenges in the partnership of international development agencies and government in all conceded hospital units.
Noting that the current concession of some health facilities including pharmaceutical and laboratory services in the state would lead to negative repercussions, he said: “The concession of health facilities in the state should therefore be reversed urgently to stem decay, confusion, intractable legal issues, poor management and resultant deaths of our citizens from the hands of businessmen.
“The repercussions of this concession facade also include erosion and eradication of pharmaceutical care and hospital pharmacy practice; blocking of new pharmacy entrants of Cross River State indigenes to be trained at internship and specialist level in government services in future.”
Cross River government recently signed Memorandum of Understanding with four concessionaires for the management of three general hospitals and the provision and management of outdoor signage services.
The health facilities are General Hospital,  Bekwarra, which is to be run by Bakor Hospital Limited; General Hospital, Obudu, taken over by Saint Luke Hospital

From Eyo Charles, Calabar

The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria has called on Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State to immediately review the decision to give four general hospitals in the state to private operators.
They warned that the concession of health facilities in the state will bring about intractable legal issues and rot in the health system.
Speaking over the weekend, Chairman of PSN in the state, Paul Agbulu said private owners are more concerned with making profit at the detriment of excellence, maintaining that the concession will pave way for sharp practices.
He added that it will create an avenue for incursions of fake and counterfeit drugs.
“Business firms do not have the technical, financial and capacity for training of hospital pharmacists”, he said.
Agbulu said some of the repercussions will be the obvious challenges in the partnership of international development agencies and government in all conceded hospital units.
Noting that the current concession of some health facilities including pharmaceutical and laboratory services in the state would lead to negative repercussions, he said: “The concession of health facilities in the state should therefore be reversed urgently to stem decay, confusion, intractable legal issues, poor management and resultant deaths of our citizens from the hands of businessmen.
“The repercussions of this concession facade also include erosion and eradication of pharmaceutical care and hospital pharmacy practice; blocking of new pharmacy entrants of Cross River State indigenes to be trained at internship and specialist level in government services in future.”
Cross River government recently signed Memorandum of Understanding with four concessionaires for the management of three general hospitals and the provision and management of outdoor signage services.
The health facilities are General Hospital,  Bekwarra, which is to be run by Bakor Hospital Limited; General Hospital, Obudu, taken over by Saint Luke Hospital Consortium;  while Meditron-Loba Healthcare Ltd takes pharmacies and clinical diagnostic centres in general hospitals Igoli, Yahe, Okpoma  and Sankwala.

Consortium;  while Meditron-Loba Healthcare Ltd takes pharmacies and clinical diagnostic centres in general hospitals Igoli, Yahe, Okpoma  and Sankwala.