The Federal Government has inaugurated an implementation committee for National Stakeholders Dialogue on Power in the Health Sector, aimed at achieving sustainable electrification of public healthcare facilities.
The Head of Information and Public Relations in the ministry, Alaba Balogun, explained in a press release that the primary objective of the national dialogue is to, amongst others, enhance public-private partnerships to ensure a steady electricity supply to public health institutions.
He said it will also identify alternative and sustainable solutions by exploring renewable energy options, backup power systems and, energy-efficient solutions to enhance power reliability in tertiary and other health facilities across the country.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, announced the urgent initiative during the inauguration of the implementation committee for national dialogue on power in the health sector at the ministry’s headquarters office in Abuja.
During the inauguration, the minister highlighted the compelling reasons for hosting a national dialogue on power to resolve electricity challenges in our public healthcare facilities.
He said: ” It is obvious that the current efforts are neither integrated nor guided by any holistic framework, operational guideline, or overarching policy.
“We can no longer afford business as usual in the face of mounting energy bills of our hospitals.
“The time has come for all hands to be on deck to relieve our hospitals of the burden of prohibitive costs of power supply which gulps hundreds of millions of naira”.
To this end, Salako said, his decision to inaugurate an implementation committee was informed by the compelling need to plan and prepare adequately to prevent poor performance.
According to him, the terms of reference for the committee are as follows:
- Convene the National Stakeholders Dialogue on Power in the Health Sector;
- Ensure an effective implementation of recommendations from the National Dialogue;
- Mobilise resources and attract investments for sustainable electrification of public healthcare facilities, using a whole-of-government approach.
Salako seized the opportunity of the inauguration to appreciate the priority attention accorded the health sector by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu which is steadily taking Nigeria on the path to universal health coverage.
Speaking earlier, the Permanent Secretary, represented by the Director of Hospital Services Department, Dr. Salahudeen Jimoh, emphasised the critical importance of power to tertiary and other public health facilities in ensuring effective and efficient delivery of healthcare services to Nigerians.
She expressed optimism that with the proposed national dialogue on power, comprising major stakeholders, the teething problem of electricity challenges in our healthcare facilities would be comprehensively addressed and resolved.
