Minister of State for Health, Dr. Khaliru Alhassan
The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Khaliru Alhassan, has said the performance of the health sector under President Goodluck Jonathan has earned the health sector international respect.
Alhassan, who spoke at the Public Affairs Forum organised by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, said a lot of grounds have been covered by the Jonathan administration in the health sector leading to a change in the fortunes of Nigerians.
The minister said the transformation agenda of the health sector was inspired by the realisation that improved health outcomes are critical to the realisation of the national Vision 20:2020.
He noted that the federal government had assiduously pursued the transformation agenda of the administration leading to the saving of lives.
“Through the Saving One Million Lives Initiative, more than 433,650 lives had been saved as at December 2013. The ministry is also working with the relevant agencies to enact /review the following legislations: National Health Bill, Anti-Tobacco Bill, NAFDAC Act, National Health Insurance Scheme Act, National Blood Transfusion Service Bill in order to completely change the face of the health sector in Nigeria.
He stated that the Jonathan administration had also done a lot to improve health infrastructure across the country.
“We have tried to ensure existing health infrastructure across the country are refurbished and new ones established to ensure better service delivery.
Also speaking at the event, Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, said the Jonathan administration at the onset, developed a four-year strategic plan (2011-2015) for the education sector.
He said the federal government under President Jonathan is committed to improving the quality of education through the promotion of primary school enrolment for all children of school going age irrespective of the income profile of their parents.
According to him, the provision of infrastructure such as classrooms at all levels and enhancement of efficiency, resourcefulness and competence of teachers and other educational personnel through training and motivation's essential.
He noted that one of the key strategies of the administration in taking education to the people is the Almajiri Education Programme through which scores of Almajiri have been educated in the northern part of the country.
He added that the administration was just as concern and with improving primary and secondary education as it is concerned about the tertiary institutions.
“This Education Tax Act has been amended to refocus the Tertiary Education Tax Fund on progressively upgrading facilities in institutions of higher learning to enhance teaching and learning. Also, this administration has granted in five phases the sum of 109 billion to universities, polytechnics and Colleges of Education to facilitate their development as centres of excellence,” the minister said.
THISDAY
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