The Medical Women Association of Nigeria (MWAN) has called for stronger primary healthcare services, more affordable medical treatment and increased investment in healthcare personnel to improve access to quality care across the country.
The Lagos Branch President of MWAN, Dr Ime Okon, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) ahead of Nigeria’s 66th Independence anniversary.
Okon acknowledged improvements in health insurance coverage under the Renewed Hope Agenda, saying the expansion has helped more Nigerians access medical services while reducing the burden of paying for treatment directly from their pockets.
She noted that compulsory health insurance enrolment has enabled more people to prepay for healthcare, describing the development as a significant positive step for the country’s health sector.
However, she said challenges remain in healthcare financing, noting that despite recent progress, insurance coverage has not yet reached a level sufficient to meet the needs of the wider population.
The MWAN official also identified inadequate manpower as one of the major problems affecting healthcare delivery.
According to her, health facilities sometimes have vacancies that attract very few applicants, creating difficulties even when authorities are prepared to employ additional medical personnel.
While acknowledging ongoing improvements in healthcare infrastructure, Okon stressed that modern facilities alone cannot guarantee effective service delivery without sufficient numbers of qualified health workers.
She therefore called for greater efforts to address workforce shortages and strengthen the capacity of healthcare institutions across the country.
Okon also advocated increased local production of medicines, particularly drugs used in treating cancer and other serious illnesses.
She said producing more medicines locally could help reduce costs and make essential treatments more accessible to Nigerians.
The MWAN Lagos president urged the government to place greater emphasis on making primary healthcare centres fully functional, ensuring affordable treatment and building a sufficiently skilled healthcare workforce.
She maintained that addressing these areas would help Nigeria establish a stronger health system capable of providing consistent and quality healthcare to its citizens.
