Group urges FG to make primary healthcare, nutrition priorities in 2019

Group urges FG to make primary healthcare, nutrition priorities in 2019

The Nigerian Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NISPGHAN), on Monday urged the Federal Government to list primary healthcare and nutrition among its priorities in 2019.

Its President, Prof. Philip Abiodun, told Newsmen in Lagos that primary healthcare and nutrition should be practiced as it was being done globally.

“The most important thing is the primary healthcare and nutrition; government should focus at the grassroots where we have the wards and local governments areas.

“Every basic thing in life and health should be managed at the grassroots, while only people on referrals should visit the tertiary institutions.

“Also, the preparation of a pregnant woman should start at the local level and those they cannot managed should go to the next level.

“So, this is the basic primary healthcare that should be practiced so that at the time of delivery, we know who is coming to the tertiary institution to be managed.

“In doing this, we would be able to reduce maternal and neonatal deaths,’’ Abiodun, also a Consultant in Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, said.

The expert also recommended that child nutrition should begin from the first 1000 days of life, saying that the nutrition of baby inside the womb was important for its health at birth.

He commended the government for introducing the school feeding programme, noting that it was coming a bit too late.

“The nutrition of a child should take place in the first two years of life, that is when the brain and most of the things in the child are developed.

“Nutrition is important for intelligence and to boost immunity of a child.

“ So, feeding a child at five when everything is fully developed will not help the child, it should begin in the first 1000 days of life that is, right in the mother’s womb,’’Abiodun said.

The expert called for the introduction of a Universal Health Insurance in the country to assist the ordinary man to have unhindered access to effective healthcare services.

Abiodun said that Universal Health Insurance would also reduce the incidence of people going to chemists to buy drugs or even patronise quacks.

“Most of these things that I have mentioned are possible, if we have a basic Universal Health Insurance scheme, because most people cannot pay their bills when they are sick.

“But, if we have a contributory insurance where an ordinary man on the street pays a small amount to take care of him when he is sick and gets the necessary drugs, it will go a long way.

“The primary healthcare, nutrition insurance is very important aspects of our health; it should not just be for government workers alone,” he said.

Source: NAN

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