Borno Holds 65th National Council On Health Meeting, Zulum Directs Immediate Upgrade Of Salaries Of Borno Doctors To FG Scale

Borno holds 65th National Council on Health Meeting, Zulum directs immediate upgrade of salaries of Borno doctors to FG scale

By Madu Mohammed, Maiduguri

Stakeholders in the health sector have converged in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital for the 2024 National Council on Health meeting to strengthen and ensure that universal healthcare for all 2030 is achieved.

Declaring Open the 65th National Council on Health meeting at the Muhammadu Idimi Hall, University of Maiduguri on Thursday, Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno state ordered for the immediate upgrade of the salaries of Borno medical doctors to that of the Federal Government.

The Governor said, at this juncture, i therefore want to direct the commissioner for Health and the Head of Service to link up with the Minister budget and Planing to ensure that disparity between the salaries of doctors on the payroll of the Borno state government and the Federal Government is bridged.”.

Zulum said, to address the problem of migration of medical doctirs from the state to the federal institutions such as Federal medical centre and University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospitals (UMTH), he said ” one of the problem we are facing in Borno state, is the disparity between salaries of medical doctors in Borno state and that of Federal Government.

“Under no circumstances that doctors under Borno Government will earn less than that of the Federal Government.. They must enjoy Same salary with that of the Federal Government, ‘ he said.

Zulum said “Our presence here today is a testament to our unwavering commitment to advancing the health and well-being of all our citizens. We are here because we recognise that health is not merely a sector but a fundamental pillar for the progress and stability of any society. We are as well reminded of the responsibilities we carry and the great potential we have to transform the health sector across our Nation”.

He said “As we gather here today, i want to address the most pressing health challenges we continue to face in Borno State, which is the maternal mortality. Despite our dedicated efforts, including the provision of free caesarean sections for those in need, maternal mortality rates remain unacceptably high. It is a sobering reality that we must confront together, and it underscores the importance of taking decisive and innovative action.”.

“The launch of the Maternal Mortality Reduction Initiative, by the Federal Ministry of Health aligns directly with our State’s dedication to improve maternal health and represents a powerful commitment from the highest levels of our Government to make childbirth safer for every woman. Through this initiative, Nigeria aims to eliminate financial barriers to life-saving cesarean procedures, prioritizing support for areas that experienced the highest maternal deaths.”, He added.

He also called for renewed commitment to and Continued collaboration between Federal and State agencies,, healthcare workers, and community leader to achieve safe and equitable healthcare for all, stressing that the path ahead may be challenging, but confident that together they can transform maternal health outcomes in Nigeria and set an example for the other nations across the globe.

Also speaking, the coordinating Minister for health, Prof Mohammed Pate said “We announced we will train 120,000 frontline health workers. We’ve done more than 43,000 of those, and we’re on our path. And that is a testament to the collective efforts of the federal government and the states.We’ve expanded the medical relief program to provide targeted support to ensure that the poorest and most vulnerable access products when they need them.”

The Minister said, the revitalization of primary health care has been underway, and more will be revitalized. I think we have visibility to almost 4,000 in collaboration with the states on the human resources policies, we have had the human resources workforce migration policy approved, which was started at the Council on Health, but it’s really going a long way in expanding the training of our health workers. “.

The Minister said.” the power of collective effort in advancing the health of the population cannot be over-emphasized.And we are beginning to see the results. Since the unveiling of this Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, His Excellency, Mr. President, announced that health is back on the front burner. That was in December 2023, after we came back from Haiti, and his administration has worked diligently, hand in hand with the states and with all partners to advance the health and well-being of Nigerians across the four pillars and the three anomalies that we laid out. On the governance pillar, I think we have a lot to say, because we signed the compact with all the state governments”.

He also said “The federal government will also state doubling the quotas for medical schools, pharmacies, nurses, and others. I think there are a lot more that we can mention in terms of learning across the health professions, which we have been able to do on the affordability side, through the NHIA, the obstetric complication of BPM, we’ve had more than 1,000 women already being prepared for their obstetric fistula complications free of charge since that initiative was announced. In addition, in an effort to reduce the maternal mortality, we know that at least 30 primary health care centers, secondary facilities, are able to offer similar services.”.

In his remarks, the minister for State Health and Social service, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako said it is my honour to deliver this opening remarks at such an important statutory event holding in this beautiful and historical city of Maiduguri, the Borno State Capital. I hope you are all enjoying your stay here in the capital of the Borno emirate, a hub of Islamic scholarship in our sub-region.”

Dr. Salako Said, i have been tasked this morning with giving an opening remarks on the theme ‘’ACCELERATING PATHWAYS TO UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE; STRATEGIES FOR 2030 SUCCESS’’. I must say that my “initiation” since my recent redeployment to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, has been intense and most rewarding. I was privileged to on my first week in office participate in the Joint Annual Review of the Sector Wide Approach for the Nigerian Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative which was like a crash programme on the new direction the Nigerian health system is headed and within 3 weeks, i am here at the National Council on Health. “.

“The Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR for the health sector is to provide to all Nigerians, particularly the vulnerable population; qualitative, accessible, affordable and responsive healthcare services that does not put the Nigerians in financial hardship. Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030 for us is therefore not just a slogan or a catch phrase but a commitment that is backed by a robust pathway to deliver on an inclusive, equitable and evidence driven manner, he said.

“The recently released Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF&FSP) has as part of its key objectives to improve health crisis preparedness and revatilize the Nigeria health system. This strategic direction amongst other pronouncement and actions of the Federal government clearly demonstrate that the Federal Government of Nigeria under President Tinubu is determined to walk the talk with respect to Universal Health Coverage and general improvement of the health status of Nigerians. I call on our 36 state Governors to borrow a leaf from this commitment of the President and ensure the faithful implementation of the health renewal compact that was signed in December, 2023.”

“From the comprehensive briefing that I have received in the last two weeks, I can see that the delibrate strategies and action plans being implemented and those in the pipeline will ensure that we meet the goal of UHC by 2030. These strategies and action plans includes the strengthening and prioritizing Primary Health Care (PHC), the reorganisation of the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, training and retraining of our health workers especially at the PHC level, infrastructural upgrade of healthcare facilities across tertiary health institutions with emphasises on essential equipment and supplies in diagnostics for cancer care management, neonatal units, vaccines, and diagnostic tools to cater specifically to children and maternal health needs and deliberate emphasis in health promotion and disease prevention. Community Health Workers are being empowered to educate our people at the community level about primary and secondary prevention focusing on immunizations, health habits, health nutrition, behaviourial changes, environmental health and screening for non-communicable diseases.

He said the Ministry is working to improve and maintain standards at service, reserach and ethical levels through the inauguration of strategic committees in line with the National Health Act 2014 and other exant laws, stressing that they are collaborating with experts in diaspora to provide needed support for better care through Telemedicine that connects patients and providers in real time, reducing geographical barriers, especially for rural or underserved populations.

He assured that the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in full cooperation with the sub-national governments, development partners NGOs, CBOs, health worker unions and other stakeholders is poised to change the narrative around the health sector.and ensure that Nigerians have access to qualitative and affordable healthcare that they need at every point in time.

In their seperate goodwill messages the Shehu of Borno, the National, WHO, UNICEF and other donor partners assured to work closely to the Federal and state governments in strengthening the healthcare service delivery with a view to achieve accessible, affordable universal healthcare delivery.