Shettima seeks stronger FG/Stakeholders partnership on healthcare delivery

Vice President Kashim Shettima has called for a stronger partnership with stakeholders in the health sector for a better healthcare delivery in the country.

Shetima made the call in Abuja, at a dinner in honour of the Special Adviser to Bola Tinubu on Health, Dr Salma-Anas Ibrahim organised by Southern Borno stakeholders forum.

The vice president urged Nigerians to trust and have confidence in Ibrahim to face the challenges of leadership.

He highlighted the government’s economic decisions and emphasised the importance of a culture of inclusiveness and forgiveness.

“Certainly Ibrahim is one of our best, experience is not something you can buy in the marketplace, experience is something that you have to add on sometimes you will add a price, she was in Yemen which is one of the trouble spots in the world.

“She has garnered a wealth of experience and exposure in Egypt, in Somalia, so when I look at her rich resume. I feel compelled that this is the lady that should drive the process of change in the health sector in Borno and she did wonderfully well.

“Another opportunity came on board to contribute in service of our nation and to humanity. She won’t disappoint us. She very committed, very honest, operate very anxious, very, very passionate about her job”, he said.

Shettima urged Nigerians to invest their trust and confidence in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s compatibilities.

”Things are tough, things are bad, but we are not complaining.

“We campaigned for the job. We went around the country, all the 36 states of the Federation, uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.

“In the fullness of time Nigerians will come to appreciate president Tinubu,” he said.

The economy, he said, will pick up, a month after we assumed the mantle of leadership, what we had to distributed was 1.9 trillion naira. In order not to overheat the economy.

“We will distribute 900 billion and kept 1 trillion in reserves, as the economy picks up, I am absolutely certain that is the next couple of months.

Responding, Ibrahim said President Tinubu is passionate about women and children.

“Our president is very passionate about Nigerians’ health. My passion for improving access to quality Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child Adolescent, and Elderly Health plus Nutrition (RMNCAEH+N) services, including sexual and reproductive rights, as well as gender-based violence will continue.

She said that government would be collaborating with the Public-Private Partnership (PPP), to ensure the health of Nigerians.

She said that by leveraging the expertise and resources of the private sector it would improve access to basic healthcare services for Nigerians.

She noted that Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda is aimed at achieving health for all through an efficient and effective universal health care coverage system, using the continuum model as contained in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Meanwhile, in his goodwill message, the Coordinator, Africa Health Budget Network, (AHBN), Dr Aminu Magashi said office of the health adviser to President Tinubu was a new one and first of its kind so stakeholders need to help the office to succeed.

“It’s a paradigm shift in the country, the office is very key to health sector reform and also we need to improve our basic healthcare provision fund.

“We need to improve our health care agenda, we need to help the office function well,”he said.

Magashi said that there was a need for deeper coordination between health adviser with office of the national security adviser, biosafety agency, and overall health sector to improve health security agenda for the country.

He said that this administration should fully fund and support the implementation of national health security action plan.

He, however said that the CSOs and media should step up advocacy and accountability to ensure transparency in the health sector.