Radiologists want 15% of national budget for healthcare

The Association of Radiologists in Nigeria (ARIN) on Monday in Abuja canvassed for the commitment of 15 per cent of the country’s national budget to the healthcare sector.

The National President of ARIN, Prof. Sule-Ahmed Saidu, made the call during a lecture to commemorate the 2021 International Day of Radiology (IDoR) with the theme “Interventional radiology: Active care for the patient”.

The ARIN president, who is also the Provost, College of Health Sciences, Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, called for provision of more radiology and laboratory facilities for the health sector.

He noted that such facilities would enhance a vibrant health sector adding that government must do everything within its power to provide those equipment.

According to him, if all these provisions are met for the health sector, the country will be measuring up with the requirement of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Africa Union.

“A lot on Nigerians who need radiologists and cardiologists services will have to travel out of Nigeria; this is to say that our healthcare in Nigeria is not optimal for bigger treatment, not necessarily primary healthcare.”

“Health they say is wealth and for the fact that we do not have enough of such facilities healthcare is not optimal.”

“The country needs to do a lot more by way of budgeting, appropriating and disbursement of fund for healthcare.”

“At least, if all these are met, the country will be able to meet up with the requirement of World Health Organisation and the Africa Union.”

“If we ensure that these facilities are made available, we would have upped our game in the provision of quality healthcare to Nigerians,” he said.

He stated that this year’s theme for the IDoR was to encourage all stakeholders to be proactive and to ensure that patients became the centre of concentration for healthcare and also the essence of healthcare.

Saidu also called on government to provide more intervention radiation centres in Nigeria, adding that most of the radiation centres available in the country were not active.

He urged government to activate all the radiotherapy centres for the treatment of cancer.

Dr Wellington Ohikhokhai, Chairman ARIN FCT Chapter, called on government to provide an enabling environment where sophisticated health equipment including those for radiology could be manufactured in the country.

Ohikhokhai, who is the Second Vice President, ARIN, added that in a country of 200 million people, importing those equipment could be quite expensive going by the exchange rate of currency and customs and excise duties charges.

“Bringing these equipment from outside the country may not be easy. If it is possible for us to have an assembly plant, we can manufacture them here.”

“This will bring costs down, it will also increase manpower.”

“If the government can provide the enabling environment, it will help to drive down the cost of delivery of these and we will have comprehensive healthcare that is more accessible to more people.”

“The enabling environment here are provision of good roads, electricity and others; these machines work on stable power supply,” he added.