By EDDIE OSIFELO
OPPOSITION Leader Matthew Wale has questioned the state of the health care system in the country.
Speaking at the sine die motion in Parliament on December 15, Wale said the state of the country’s healthcare system is still of great concern.
“We have no idea how many preventable deaths occur in our health facilities.
“If we cared to know, perhaps government can start to address the deficiencies that allow such preventable deaths,” he said.
“As it is, I get the sense that the ministry of health merely shrugs its shoulders as if to say ‘it is what it is’, without any real intent to be better.
“Issues of adequacy of budget allocations, timely procurement, proper storage, distribution and tracking of medicines, surely are well within the ability of the ministry to excel in its management,” Wale said.
He said these should never contribute to preventable deaths.
“It is never good enough to run out of reagents for lab analysis,” he said.
Further to that, Wale said management of health professionals to ensure maximum attendance at work should be well within the ministry’s ability.
“That these continue to be issues must be great concern to all of us.
“This is an unacceptable situation that must not be allowed to continue,” he added.
“But I don’t get the sense that they are being properly and substantively addressed.
“If at NRH these remain serious issues, then we are to assume that at more remote health facilities these issues may be more exacerbated,” he added.
