From Desmond Mgboh, Kano
The Federal Government is determined to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare eco-system to save lives and improve the quality of healthcare delivery.
National Coordinator, Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Health Care Value Chain, Dr Abdul Murthar, disclosed this during visit to the Kano Independent Research Centre Trust yesterday.
He and his team inspected facilities at the centre, including the high tech laboratories, clinic, Water Treatment Plant among others and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to work together towards the realization of the vision of the centre.
Murthar noted that healthcare eco-system covers health care policies, regulations, infrastructure, human resources, talents, research and development capabilities among others.
He lamented that most of the healthcare needs in Nigeria are not manufactured locally, adding that about 70 –80 per cent of them which included essential medicines, vaccines and medical devices and text kits are sourced abroad.
“Bed nets, we don’t have a single bed net manufacturing outfit in Nigeria even though Nigeria has about 27 per cent of the global world burden for malaria” he lamented.
He explained that the Federal Government is determined to reverse the trend, expressing optimism that by 2030, local manufacturers should produce about 70 per cent of the nation’s health care products, medicines and vaccines.
He described the centre as the best-kept health secret in the country, adding that that their vision, talents and infrastructure were top nudge and of the highest global standards
Director General of the centre, Professor Hamisu Salihu, expressed optimism that PVAC would help the centre reach out to institutions and organizations at home and abroad that would make use of their infrastructures, research outcomes and healthcare services.
He regretted that many of those who needed their services were unaware that they could get the services at the centre.
“So I think this interaction and the MOU would widen the knowledge base about this centre- it would focus light on what we are capable of doing and get more people to be aware of our institute,” he stated.
He also outlined the vision of the centre including its plan to venture into the manufacturing of IVM fluids, the expansion of its clinical services and the sustenance of its technology driven research programs among others.