'We dey train more health workers so as some dey japa some go come back'

BBC News

30-01-2025

Nigeria goment don say di reason why many health workers dey japa na becos dem be di best for Africa and dem sabi dia work well-well.
Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate tell BBC Pidgin for exclusive interview say oyibo pipo dey like to come carry Nigeria health workers sake of di training wey Nigeria give dem.
"Oda kontris like dem na why dem go come collect dem, na becos Nigeria don train dem well-well and dem be good workers."
Im tok say na becos of dis japa mata dem begin to train more health workers .
"Wen we train more, even if some dey go some go come back so dat we go get wetin we need and di ones wey dey go dem go go teach odas for dia how to practice health work well-well."
Nigeria Medical Association bin dey para about di way wey medial doctors and oda health workers dey japa sake of everyday shrike and welfare of health workers.
But di Minister of health clear di air for dis interview say "strike don reduce well-well in di last 18 months".
Primary Healthcare for Nigeria
Di Nigerian government official agree with BBC Pidgin say di tori say doctors and nurses no dey readily available for Primary Healthcare centres na true.
Im say na why dem dey beg state and local goments to join hands wit dem to tackle dis problem.
'Na why President Tinubu say make we train 1200,000 health workers for di frontline, so dat dem fit show up for work and know wetin dem go do for di Primary Healthcare centre.'
Oga Pate say if you go any Primary Healthcare centre and you no see doctor or nurse wey go attend to you, ask di local goment pipo, ask di state govnor wetin dey happun.
'Federal goment don put in a lot already, di 8,800 facilities na a lot but odas need to join hands so dat we fit make sure say Nigeria pipo enjoy good life and good health',
Free C-section and emergency service for pregnant women
Many women dey die during childbirth for Nigeria becos emergency services no dey readily available for dem.
Oga Pate tell BBC Pidgin say dis women no also get money to pay for emergency services.
Na why dem introduce di free Caesarean section for pregnant women for di kontri.
According to one UNICEF report, Nigeria dey contribute to 10% of global maternal deaths.
Di figures show say maternal mortality rate na 576 per 100,000 live births, and na di fourth highest on earth.
Wit dis data, Oga Pate tok say 'No woman suppose lose her life becos she wan born pikin and bring anoda life' into existence.
Di Maternal Mortality Reduction Initiatve?
Na for November 2024, Nigeria goment first announce free cesarean section (CS) for all women wey need am.
Di minister of Health and Social Welfare Prof Muhammad Ali Pate make di announcement wen e launch di Maternal Mortality Reduction Initiative for Abuja, di Nigeria capital.
Di minister say di aim of di initiative na to tackle Nigeria critical maternal and neonatal mortality rates – wey dey among di highest globally.
E say na Nigeria President Bola Tinubu get di initiative and dem plan to bring about 120,000 additional health workers to support primary health care across Nigeria.
'Goment decide to crash d number of women wey dey die wen dem come deliver dia babies, by improving di services for di primary health care level and for di pipo wey get complication, to make sure say wen dem get di complication, dem go refer dem to hospitals wey get di facilities to treat dem well-well so dat dem no go die'.
How much pregnant woman go pay for dis service?
Oga Pate emphasize say any woman wey dem identify for di Primary healthcare level as a beneficiary no go pay any money for di services at all.
No corner-corner money dey inside, na why dem dey chook eye for di programme well-well to make sure say even di pipo wey go give dis pregnant women di services sabi dia work well-well.
Im explain say goment go also make sure say no be becos of di money di healthcare worker wan chook hand for di programme.
According to Prof. Pate, Nigeria goment and di Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) don make arrangement wey dem go fit pay back di money to di facility (hospital) wey do di operation, so dat di pregnant woman no go die becos she no fit afford di treatment wey she need.
'We don roll out many Federal Teaching Hospital arrangement so dat women wey require dat kind of emergency care, dem fit receive di care even wen di money no dey dia hand.'
Im say dem still dey build on di programme small-small and wit time, e go reach evribody as dem dey also chook eye to make sure say dis hospitals no charge goment multiple times sake of mago-mago.
"Di cost of di service na im Health Insurance go pay back to di hospital, but dem need to identity di woman so dat di hospital no go charge goment multiple times.' E tok.
How di Health Insurance scheme dey work?
For women wey dey rural areas (villages), na di Primary Healthcare centre for dia communities go dey in charge, becos na dem dey see di women evritime for antenatal care.
And if dem see complication dem go quickly send di woman go di Federal hospital wia di woman go get di emergency care and services.
'Di emergency ambulance system go carry dem go di referral hospital. Di Ministry through National Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System (NEMSAS) go pay back some of dat cost for dos wey dey eligible (qualify) no be for evribody wey get any kain of condition'.
According to di former Oga of Primary Healthcare for Nigeria, 172 local goment areas for Nigeria take more dan half of di number of women wey dey die sake of delivery and pregnancy complications.
'Now, we dey try to get di state, local goment and wit di help of di Federal goment under President Tinubu to work togeda so dat dis numbers go reduce.'
Im say dem dey chook eye well-well to monitor di programme through di Basic Healthcare provision fund (money wey goment put togeda for one place to support di Primary Healthcare system) and dem dey track how many pipo receive care for di facility (hospital) wia goment put di money.
'We dey also track di number of deliveries, if pipo go dis facilities wia goment put dis money for emergency services and dem no dey use am for dis reason, dem fit complain'.