The Minister of Health, Prof. Oyebuchi Chukwu has again harped on the need for the private sector? contribution to the realisation of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) by the year 2015.
Chukwu said this on Saturday in Abuja at the 16th Annual General meeting of the Guild of Medical Directors (GMD) Abuja chapter.
Guild of medical directors is a body of private medical practitioners.
The minister said that there had been an increased recognition of the role of the private sector in the attainment of global target for the realisation of the MDGs.
“This has been demonstrated by many partnerships between the UN, its agencies and the organised private sectors,'' he added. .
Chukwu said that the federal government had embarked on the reforms of the health sector, with the aim of improving the health status of Nigerians through the development of a sustainable healthcare delivery system.
“A core component of the ministry’s current focus is to mobilise and harness all resources across both public and private sectors for the benefit of the populace.
“These efforts are geared towards attaining the Millennium Development Goals and other national health targets, “ he said.
He said that the MDGs were intended to bring together developing and developed countries in partnership to reduce poverty, ensure gender equality, combat environmental degradation and ensure improved access to social services.
The minister disclosed that this would help to ensure good education, maternal health care, safe drinking water, sanitation, combat of HIV and AIDS and other communicable diseases.
He said that the federal government was poised to achieve the target, adding that it had formulated policies and strategies that would speed up the process of achieving the target.
He decried the low level of private sector contribution to healthcare delivery service, adding that the sector was not taking advantage of its public private partnership (PPP) policy.
Dr Edward Philips, Chairman GMD Abuja Chapter said that the body would not rest its oars in ensuring that the federal government achieved the MDG targets
He expressed appreciation to the minister for the support offered to the body, while urging members to adhere to the role of the profession.
He said both Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) and the Guild of Medical Directors (GMD) were not working at cross purpose, adding that members would ensure that the relationship remains cordial.
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