Health minister promises to reverse medical tourism, prioritise health security

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate on Monday promised to reverse the trend of medical tourism, prioritise health security, and improve the health outcomes in the country.

He made the promise in his address when he assumed office at the Federal Ministry of Health, after the swearing ceremony, which was held at the presidential villa in Abuja.

Pate called for better synergy between the Federal, State, and Local Governments, the private sector, and other stakeholders.

“When you fly from Addis Ababa to India you see a lot of people going for medical tourism and it is not a thing we should see as normal. We should do something about it and improve our health outcomes.

“Health security, coming out of the pandemic, is clear. Everybody thought health was a marginal sector, but COVID-19 answered it because it brought everybody to their knees economically. And so, taking public health and health security as very important, is something that all governments do and the President is keenly aware of that.

“It is important that we deal with the issues of governance to improve the governance of health. The Federal, State, and Local Governments and other actors will work together on health policy and implementation.”

Pate noted that the economic value chain that exists in the health sector must be harnessed and every stakeholder has to be involved.

“The fact that he (President Bola Tinubu) included Social Welfare with health indicates he considers the people as the basis, the foundational element for what his administration tries to do. This is because the welfare of the people is linked to their health; their health and well-being are interconnected right from gestation to childhood to adulthood to the elderly and all across the life cycle.

“Of course, we need to grow our economy but we also need to attend to the people and health is an important component of that and I think that is one signal that is important.

“The president is the driver and we will follow and we will work hard to ensure that our driver takes us to the destination, and the vision that he has in transforming this country.”

Pate also said that the main responsibility of the Ministry of Health was to save lives and reduce pain.

“Whether physical pain or financial protection, we produce health that is our business in health and I think that the president wants us to do that.

“This is because he realises that Nigerians are eager to feel the impact of government so that people feel the difference that his renewed hope agenda begins to touch the lives of people and we are right where it can be done.”

Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Tunji Alausa, said he will work with Pate to ensure that Nigerians begin to appreciate healthcare delivery in Nigeria.

He said, “This is a very good time in the history of our country. President Bola Tinubu has been very deliberate in the way he has chosen his cabinet, more so for the healthcare sector. This is the first time in the country that we now have a round peg in a round hole.

“If we are going to be honest with ourselves, we are still far behind. I am promising you that I will roll up my sleeves from today working with Professor Pate, and we will by God’s grace begin to reshape the healthcare delivery in Nigeria.

“We will start thinking about healthcare as a human rights issue. Lack of basic healthcare to any Nigerian from now on will be considered as a violation of Nigerian human rights.”