CSOs Drum Support for NAUTH, Other Health Facilities

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

Coalition of Civil Society Groups (CCSG) has urged governments, organisations, and well to do individuals to lend support to health institutions in the country particularly, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH) in Nnewi, Anambra State, as part of efforts to curb medical tourism in the sector.

The National Coordinator of the group, Comrade Solomon Adodo, made the call during a fact finding visit to NAUTH as part of her assessment of the efficiency of public service agencies.

Adodo said the visit has exposed a lot of gaps in the healthcare delivery system and some salient needs of the health institution which governments, organisations and individuals must step in to fill.

The Minister of state for Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, was recently quoted to have said Nigeria spends over $1billion annually on medical treatment. This situation, experts believe can be curbed if medical institutions are properly funded.

Adodo said, “Support to the health institution will be beneficial to the entire nation maintaining that productivity of the people can only be guaranteed if the health and wellbeing of the people is guaranteed.

“We observed that the hospital has constraints of space both for patients and offices which is adversely affecting the functioning of the teaching hospital.
“Power supply is also a strong challenge and we call on the Enugu Electricity Distribution Plc to give special attention to NAUTH facilities.”

Adodo commended the Chief Medical Director of the Institution, Prof. Anthony Igwegbe for prudent management of the limited resources available to the teaching hospital.

He stated: “We commend the chairman of Air Peace for donating another 500 kva generator and other support he has given.

“We call on the federal government to accord accelerated support to NAUTH towards the completion of her permanent site and that the institution be designated as center of excellence in health research and service delivery.”