The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has asked the government at all levels to end medical tourism by improving funding to the health care sector in the country.
President of the congress, Comrade Ayuba Wabba who was speaking to mark 2020 Global Day of Action on Care, said Covid-19 has exposed the neglect of the health care industry in Nigeria.
Comrade Wabba added that this year’s Day of Action on Care is coming at a most auspicious time as the world undergoes a very challenging period occasioned by the sudden outbreak of the novel Coronavirus.
He said the virus has caused a pandemic of scary dimensions across the world; endangering everyone on earth, with care workers and other frontline health personnel encountering more serious risks.
On the theme of this year’s event, which is “Invest in Care Now!’’, Wabba who is also the President of International Trade Union Confederation(ITUC) said it is apt as it highlights the urgent need for massive investment in the care sector.
“COVID-19 has fully exposed several countries, including Nigeria as not having invested enough in our health care institutions, putting everyone, both rich and poor at high risks. The theme: ‘’Invest in Care Now!’’ is to drum up demands for heavy investments in the care sector by our government and big businesses, if we must keep a healthy society and productive human resource base.
“Apart from the open fact that our health care sector has been neglected for too long, health care workers have been subjected to unfair treatment for too long.
“Essential workers as they are often called at crisis times, do not have the necessary personal protective equipment to work with, especially before the outbreak of COVID-19. Government waited for the pandemic before it woke up to the reality of the decadence in our health care sector. Even now, enough has not been done to properly equip the sector and properly kit health workers across the country.
“With the massive resources at our government’s disposal, Nigeria can afford to build and effectively equip some of the best hospitals in the world, with global best practices and personnel. But successive governments failed to take health care as a top priority beyond mere policy statements.
“We believe now is the time for our government at all levels to demonstrate more than keen attention on the health sector. The current pandemic has shown how important health care is to all sectors and citizens of any country.”
