Foundation decries poor funding of health sector

By Tare Youdeowei

Founder, Aba Oil and Zaria Mimano Foundation, Zaria Aba Mimano, has kicked against the less than five percent 2017 budget allocation for the Health sector.

She made her stand known during an interview with Vanguard following the kick off Zaria Mimano Foundation’s nationwide outreach to indigent patients in hospitals that cannot pay their bills.

According to her, the neglect of the health sector is the reason Nigerians that can afford it, go abroad, but what happens to those who cannot afford it? “That only four percent of the national budget is going to health care, is something that needs to be addressed right away. Not everyone can afford to travel outside Nigeria for healthcare, it is highly immoral.

“Less than five percent of the N13.5 trillion combined budgets of the federal and state governments will be spent on public health this year, and this is because of the sector’s poor infrastructure. Nigeria is one of the biggest sufferers of medical tourism in the world due inadequate medical equipments, inadequate and under qualified personnel, little or no infrastructure. The wealthy have options; those that can’t are left to suffer in ill health. This is one of the outreaches the Foundation embarks on.”

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