I note with dismay the proposed N820 billion health sector budgetary allocation for the year 2022, despite the fact that the sector is supposed to account for the lion’s share of the budget.
This is due to the number of Nigerians daily finding it difficult to access health care because there are few well-equipped local and state government-owned hospitals.
The health sector has only received five per cent of the budget, which is less than the 15 per cent recommended in the declaration by African Union leaders.
There are numerous Primary Healthcare centres and general hospitals run by the state governments where lower-class Nigerians seek medical attention, but they lack modern equipment and have dearth of medical supplies. Shouldn’t the federal government collaborate with the state government to equip them so that ordinary Nigerians could have appropriate access to effective medical care?
It is high time the federal, state and local authorities gave due attention to the health sector by allocating more money so that we will have a healthy citizenry that would contribute to the economic development of the country.
Needless to say a healthy population is always an asset to the nation.
Mallam Musbahu Magayaki is of the Department of Health Education, Aminu Saleh College of Education, Azare
