Nigeria's first health minister advices National Council on Health
As the National Council on Health (NCH) begun its Golden Jubilee celebration on Jan. 8, Nigeria's first health minister, Dr Moses Majekodunmi, has advised the body on how to ensure better health for Nigerians.
The 90 year-old gynaecologist told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Sunday in Lagos that NCH should expand the scope of its work by discussing and recommending measures that would ensure that food was available and affordable for all Nigerians.
He said that it would be difficult for any healthcare delivery programme to succeed when food, potable water, electricity and other social services had been isolated.
``You cannot isolate healthcare from the normal standard of living of the people. You cannot isolate it from food and social services such as water and electricity.
``Staple food should be cheap. Try and make food available for Nigerians before we think of exporting food.
``These are things NCH should lead in propagating and getting government to address. If they do, things will change,'' Majokodunmi, who was appointed Health Minister in 1961, said.
He identified poverty as a major reason behind the poor health status of Nigerians, adding that NCH should start looking into the issue if there was a deliberate effort to ensure a healthy citizenry.
``Poverty is a barrier to the dissemination of good health services. Cost of living is high. We are producing a lot of oil and gas and generating a lot of revenue.
``Indeed, there should be no poor Nigerian. The revenue base of Nigerians should be increased. Revenue should go down to the grassroot,'' Majokodunmi said.
Assessing the NCH, which he initiated, Majokodunmi said that though it was still not a ``perfect organisation,'' the activities of the council, a body he said was made up of very ``intelligent people'' had been improved upon over the years.
He said that though it became politicized over time, coupled with the fact that Medical Doctors kicked against it when it was first set up, ``NCH is now an accomplished fact''.
The owner of the famous St. Nicholas Hospital in Lagos said that NCH was set up to discuss all ideas and proposals on healthcare and make recommendations to the federal government.
Majokodunmi, who said that he started nursing the idea of a NCH in 1957, explained that he had to make its establishment a priority in 1961 when he was appointed minister.
He said that he also nursed the idea of having a management board for government hospitals that was outside the control of civil service, while funds for running the facilities would have come from people making use of their services.
At that time, he said that the plan was for the government of the day and employers of labour to make substantial financial contribution towards the hospitals as well as healthcare delivery in the country.
On his message to the 50th session of NCH, he said ``I wish them every success in their efforts to improve health services in the country''.