N37bn can build 27,000 PHCs

In the area of health, Dr Ifeanyi Cajetan Casmir, a public health expert said it is worrisome that a country that budgeted about  3.9% and 4.15% to health in its 2017 and 2018 annual budgets is budgeting N37 billion for the renovation of a building. He said this is against the backdrop that Nigeria is ranked 187 out of 191 countries by the World Health Organization (WHO) in its ranking of the world’s health systems. He said N10 million could build a Primary Healthcare Centre  (PHC) in Nigeria to world class standards, meaning  that N10 billion could build  10, 0000 primary healthcare centres in the country to top notch standard that have well equipped laboratories, adequate and qualified personnel and drugs among others.

Therefore, N37bn can build about 27,000 PHCs, he said.

Dr Casmir, who is also the national publicity secretary of the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN), said allocating N37 billion for the renovation of part of the National Assembly was not only corruption but a major crime against the people.