Prof. Oladapo Shittu, an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, on Tuesday called for a unified healthcare system to improve Nigeria’s health sector.
Shittu said this on the sideline of a symposium on the post MDGs: Maternal and Child Health in Nigeria at the Nigeria Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) in Lagos.
The symposium was organised to mark the 6th anniversary of Prof. Innocent Ujah, the Director-General of the institute.
He said that a healthcare unitary system would enable medical experts to strategise on government policies and ensure that every Nigerian benefit from such policy.
“Most countries around the world have single health system, which is centrally operated at their capital cities.
“But our healthcare system in Nigeria is a shared responsibility between the federal, state and local government, which hinders the sole influence of the federal health policies.
“When the Federal Government makes a decision, it is not assured how it will be implemented at the state level, which leads to fragmentation.
“This is why there should be a unitary system that can help us strategise on policies released to ensure that every Nigerian benefit from it,’’ said the expert.
Shittu expressed optimism that the adoption of a unified health system would enable the country achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on health.