Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, on Monday, said it was impossible to build a new Nigeria while people are still dying due to a weak Primary Healthcare system.
Obi charged the Nigerian government to invest more money into the primary healthcare system throughout the country.
He made the remark in response to a report that criticised the poor performance of Primary Healthcare Centres in Nigeria.
A recent report said 97 percent of Primary Healthcare Centres, PHCs, did not meet the country’s staffing requirements in 16 states of Nigeria.
Reacting to the report on X, Obi said such data was a big danger for Nigerians.
He noted that the failure of PHCs is why Nigeria is seen as one of the hardest and poorest places to be born into and to live in.
He wrote: “The recent report showing that 97% of assessed Primary Healthcare Centres in 16 states didn’t meet the national staffing standard, isn’t just a number. It can be applied to the country as a whole, where about 80% of PHCs are not working properly.
“It reflects a serious risk. Health is the most important indicator of a country’s progress and serves as the basis for its healthcare system.
“A country can’t create a healthy and hard-working population if its primary healthcare centres don’t have enough trained workers to take care of the people.
“Behind every overburdened primary health centre is a pregnant woman who might not get the care she needs on time, and a child who could lose its life from an illness that could have been prevented.
“That’s why Nigeria is now considered one of the hardest and poorest places to be born into and to live in. Healthcare should not be something only the rich can afford. It is a basic responsibility of government.
“Progress shouldn’t be judged by things like flyovers, new bus stops, or airports that aren’t used much. Instead, we should look at how many lives are saved, how many health centres are working, how many trained health workers are available, and how good the care is for regular Nigerians.
“We can’t build a new Nigeria when our people are dying from problems that a proper primary healthcare system should stop.
“Our main focus should be on making sure we invest in our people, improve Primary Healthcare, hire and keep trained health workers, and ensure that every Nigerian, no matter where they live or how much money they have, can get good, affordable healthcare. A New Nigeria is POssible, PO.”
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