The Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to transforming healthcare delivery across the state.
Abiodun emphasized the crucial role of well-equipped and functional primary healthcare centers in ensuring accessible and affordable medical services. To enhance their efficiency, he noted that his government has invested substantial resources in rehabilitating numerous facilities to improve their performance.
Represented by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, the governor made this statement on Tuesday in Abeokuta, the state capital, while declaring open the 41st Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria.
He stated, “In Ogun State, we are dedicated to strengthening primary healthcare as the foundation of an effective and resilient health system. We recognize that primary healthcare serves as the gateway to achieving universal health coverage.”
However, we acknowledge the persistent challenges, including funding constraints, inadequate human resources, and socioeconomic disparities, which pose significant threats to ongoing public health efforts,” the governor stated.
He emphasized that forums like the annual conference of public health physicians provide a platform for meaningful discussions that can generate innovative solutions and actionable policies to address these challenges effectively.
Earlier, the President of the Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria, Prof. Alphonsus Isara, stressed the need for the effective implementation of primary healthcare practices to enhance healthcare delivery across the country.
Isara emphasized that improving healthcare delivery in Nigeria requires a return to the basics, starting from the grassroots level.
To achieve this, he called for the appointment of qualified Medical Officers with Public Health training (MOHs) to lead health teams across the 774 local government areas in the country, ensuring optimal healthcare delivery.
He described the current situation—where only about 40% of LGAs have medically qualified MOHs—as unacceptable.
The association also used the opportunity to advocate for the establishment of Departments of Public Health and Community Medicine in all secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities across Nigeria.
Isara explained that incorporating these departments into hospitals would significantly enhance the country’s preparedness to address the growing burden of both communicable and noncommunicable diseases.
He further noted that the AGM would feature the election of new leadership for the association, while key issues such as the rising incidence of substance use among young people in Nigeria and the need to prioritize mental health care at the primary level would be central to discussions.
In his remarks, the Ogun State Chairman of APHPN, Dr. Adewale Adesanya, expressed concern over the shortage of healthcare personnel due to the “japa” syndrome. He urged the government to recruit more professionals to mitigate the impact of this growing challenge.
Adesanya also called on the government to improve the country’s economy and demonstrate greater commitment to enhancing the working conditions of healthcare professionals. He stressed that without urgent intervention, the remaining workforce might also be tempted to leave the country in search of better opportunities.
