Health sector needs revolution, says minister

Health sector needs revolution, says
minister
on november 25, 2013 at 10:00 pm in news
By Victoria Ojeme
ABUJA — Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi
Chukwu said yesterday that Nigeria’s health sector
needs revolution in order to address health
challenges in the country.
Chukwu made this known during the formal
inauguration of the Health Professional Regulatory
bodies in Nigeria in Abuja.
He said, “if you see the kind of letters I receive
from people who should be respected health
professionals, you will weep for this country. The
health sector is losing its respect. I repeat, the
health sector has lost its respect; it is not only
losing. Right now, I have on my table three threat
letters, among groups in the health sector, to
proceed on strike.
*From left: Dr. Bob Arnot, National Programme
Manager, Justice for All, J4A, Ms. Fagboyo
Margaret, DFID, Regional Programme Officer, DCP
Felix Ogundeji, representing Lagos State
Commissioner of Police and Mrs. Itoro Eze-Anaba,
Managing Partner, Partnership for Justice and
organiser, during the opening of the Mirabel Centre
for Rape Victims and Seminar, at Lagos Airport
Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, yesterday.
He said: “One threat is to proceed on the 28th.
Another one is to start on the 13th of December. For
me, they can go ahead. People should stop sending
these threats to me for goodness sake. Look at
ASUU; we’ve not had any school for four months. If
that is what Nigeria needs from me, I like it. Let’s
close everything. Maybe what Nigeria needs is
revolution. It may be better for this country to start
afresh. If all these people go to the private sector
they run back because they won’t get half of what
government is paying.
“It is only in Nigeria we have the abnormality where
government is paying better than the private sector;
it shouldn’t be so. Private sector ought to pay
better. When I graduated as a doctor, the private
sector was paying two to four times what we
earned in government. But, it has changed.”