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SaharaReporters reports that the Summit Health Consultancy has urged the Nigerian Government to immediately set up a non-governmental monitoring team to investigate its supply of government healthcare consignment in hospitals and health centres in the country.
While the consultancy firm commended the government for the supply and provision of the laboratory equipment to some of the hospitals in the country, it, however, condemned the lack of appropriate monitoring — a trend which it said some hospital managers capitalised on, for their selfish gains.
“It is indeed sad that the health sector is not left out in the corruption saga that has plagued our country, which can be found in all sectors of our economy,” the firm said in a statement.
It added, “The funds provided by the government had not been well utilized as expressed over the state of our centres and do not meet international standards.
“A disturbing trend in our hospitals is the mismanagement of diagnostic equipment/consumables supplied by the Federal Government, thereby compromising the fight against infectious diseases and putting people’s lives in jeopardy.
“If this trend is left unchecked it may result in a state of emergency in our health sector, with the unknown future occurrence of viruses or pandemics.”
A monitoring team, it said, is needed to curb the excesses of the managers while allowing the Nigerian populace to optimally benefit from government and private sector interventions in the health system.
Summit Health Consultancy said if the inspection and monitoring team is set up, it will provide consultancy on ensuring nationwide supply, and management and coordination of contract and verification of diagnostic equipment.
It added that it would also lead to the harmonization of laboratory investigations across the country and capacity building of Medical Laboratory Scientists, among others.
The consultancy firm further recommended that individuals of high integrity, transparency and honesty should be nominated as members of the monitoring team, on behalf of Allied Health professionals, to ensure the success of the project.
It added, “The government needs to take the bull by the horns and not just allow the huge budget allocated to the health sector to go to private pockets.
“If there is no effective supervision to checkmate adequate and proper utilization of funds to ensure that required equipment are procured as stipulated in the contract sum, government efforts may be in futility.”
