Ex Nigerian leaders on Tuesday called for an upturn in health fortunes in the country. They also urged for improved measures for all Nigerians to have access to facilities which must not be “for only the elites”.
President Olusegun Obasanjo said it is not acceptable that a Nigerian child dies of malaria when the mother cannot afford to go to the nearest health facility, in the age of artificial intelligence and space tourism.
He said the authorities should leverage on technology and innovation to make health services accessible to all.
Obasanjo also stressed that it was illogical that young persons in remote communities go blind untreated because, there’s no eye clinic for hundreds of miles, stressing that it was not just a failure of infrastructure, but failures of empathy and leadership at all levels.
“When I reflect on the Nigeria we envisioned at independence, and even more so during my years of service in government, healthcare was never meant to be a luxury for the privileged or the urban elite, Obasanjo said at the Care365 Health Hub Product launch in Abuja, the country’s capital.
“It was to be a fundamental right, accessible 365 days of the year to the child in Damaturu, the mother in Yenagoa, the farmer in Ogbomoso, and the teacher in Birnin Kebbi.
“This was what was envisaged for Nigeria, yet, we know the truth. Millions of Nigerians still walk miles to reach a health post. Still, many die from preventable situations and conditions, and still more, many live in places where the nearest doctor is hours away, on bad roads. Care 365 is going to change the story and the situation”.
Obasanjo pointed out that technology should be for inclusion, irrespective of geographical locations and social status.
Also, former Head of State and the Chairman of Care365 Health Hub, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd) said with the poor state of health infrastructure, much is still needed to improve the healthcare narrative and delivery in the country, also appreciating the current Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate for his visionary approach to improving Nigeria’s health sector.
Former President Jonathan added that digital revolution which according to him has transformed almost all sectors of the economy, is the pivot for the development of the health sector, while urging young Nigerians good at technology to come up with different digital health products that would help move the country forward.
He also warned that if Nigeria was not properly remain focused, it would be left behind.
The Founder of Care365 Health Hub, Ngozi Joseph Odumuko, said the initiative was a transformative healthcare innovation conceived in the United States and now launched in Nigeria.
“The reason for this vision is to make accessible health care affordable, healthcare quality, and available healthcare are valuable to the citizens of Nigeria”, he emphasized.
Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, said the launch of the Health Hub was a demonstration that Nigeria was ready to move forward and rewrite the narrative with the help of technology.