Nigeria Has No Business Importing Drugs, Says Health Minister

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, has disclosed that the National Health Policy of the present federal government has changed, asserting that the country has no business importing drugs.

Professor Adewole spoke in Benin City, the Edo State capital on the occasion of the inauguration of projects embarked upon by the outgoing Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Professor Michael Ibadin.

He said: “We have changed the narrative of the National Health Policy. We want people to see health as a facilitator of human development.

“No country can develop without investment in the health sector. He is a business.
“We need to change the way we manage health institutions. Those who have money should spend it on their health.
“It’s important for us to pay for health, invest in it. We’re committed to local production of drugs. We have no business importing drugs,” he stated.
The health minister therefore appealed to the Edo State Government to invest in the UBTH for better performance.

In his comment, the state Deputy Governor, Mr. Philip Shaibu, who represented Governor Godwin Obaseki at the occasion, disclosed that the state government is on course to establish a functional hospital in each of the 18 local government councils of the state.
He stressed that the administration is working on the eradication of malaria, promising that the state will partner UBTH for a better healthcare delivery service.

In his opening remarks, the CMD called for an urgent review of the tenure of CMD of teaching hospitals from two term of four years tenure to a single tenure of five years.
Professor Ibadin suggested that an ingenious way should be devised for the funding of the facilities in order to address the issue of poor funding of health facilities, and thank Mr. Ken Imansuangbon, former governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for his support and gestures to UBTH.

Meanwhile, in an interactive session with journalists, Adewole promised to meticulously investigate the chain of petitions against Dr, Sunday Osasu Olotu, the CMD of the Federal Neuro-Psychiatrist Hospital, Uselu and come up with a position on.

He denied claims that the tenure of the embattled Olotu has since lapsed on March 20, 2016, saying: “That’s a lie. That’s not what we’ve on our records.