People-oriented health system key to Buhari’s vision for growth – Osinbajo

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN,has urged members of the Health Sector Reform Committee set up by President Muhammadu Buhari to brace up for the task ahead, noting that a modern, and people-oriented healthcare is fundamental to the vision for the country’s growth and development.

Prof. Osinbajo stated this Thursday in his address at the inauguration of the committee, drawn from the different arms of government, development partners, the traditional institution and civil society organisations, among others, which he heads.

Emphasising the importance of the committee’s task while recalling Buhari’s vision, Osinbajo, at the virtual event said, “Mr. President has in several public statements made it clear that a modern, virile and people-centric healthcare system was fundamental to his own vision for socio-economic growth.”

The vice president however observed that the current reality is that the Nigerian health sector still carries some critical challenges, which have resulted in sub-optimal outcomes, when compared with more developed jurisdictions of the world, a situation that makes the reform of the sector imperative.

Acknowledging challenges in the health sector, Prof. Osinbajo explained that government has the primary responsibility to address the issues “and to put in place the structures and arrangements necessary to boost the efficiency of the healthcare ecosystem, improve healthcare delivery, stem the brain-drain of our health personnel and reduce the pressure on our foreign reserves on account of medical tourism.”

Speaking further, Osinbajo said a lot of efforts have been made prior to the setting up of the committee to ensure that the reform process is hitch-free.