An Associate Professor of Political Science, Dr Aaron Ogundiwin, has called on the three tiers of government to place more priority on preventive health and not curative, to overcome the nation’s challenges in the health sector.
Ogundiwin, also the Chairman, Governing Council, Oyo State College of Health Science and Technology, Ibadan, made the call at a news conference held in the institution in Ibadan.
“The health sector in Nigeria is suffering from challenges of planning priority and misplacement of priority. We place priority on curative medicine than preventive medicine.
“So, we need to place emphasis on preventive above curative medicine,” he said.
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Ogundiwin recalled that the genesis of international health was based on curative health, saying that the WHO established in 1948 was not the first global response to health.
According to him, the international health began in 1920s and had to do with sanitary issues, saying the event led to the establishment of the college in 1933 before WHO was inaugurated in 1948.
“So, sanitary issues started international health around 1922, which led to the establishment of sanitary training institutions and training centre for sanitary inspectors.
“These were the first set of health workers globally. This led to the establishment of College of Health Technology, Yaba, Lagos in 1922,” he said.
Ogundiwin said that government, however, did not give priority to preventive health, which he said dominated the beginning of professional healthcare practices.
According to him, if you are able to lay emphasis on preventive medicine, there won’t be much need for curative medicine.
“When COVID-19 came, one of the non-pharmaceutical measures evolved against the virus was sanitary ways of living to prevent the spread of infection like COVID-19.
“Lassa fever is now on the increase, and it can be prevented by adhering to sanitary ways,” Ogundiwin said.
He commended the response of Gov. Seyi Makinde to COVID-19, which he said became a good example to the Federal and some State Governments.
Ogundiwin said the governor had demonstrated that his administration prioritised preventive health.
“So, if we are able to spend a lot on sanitation or preventive measures, we won’t be going to hospitals for curative measures.
“We can use masks, wash our hands, ensure physical distancing, which are the preventive measures for COVID-19, instead of engaging in use of drugs.
“If we are able to focus on preventive health, the problem of health sector or response or whatever would not be there,” he said.
On efforts made so far, he said that the institution had received books worth 55,000 dollars from a U.S-based non-governmental organisation to boost academic excellence of the college.
“The college in October 2021 hosted the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria (MLSCN) for full accreditation of its Medical Laboratory Technicians’ programme which increased their students’ quotas from 30 to 40,” he said.
Ogundiwin decried the fake news being spread in some quarters about the accreditation and licence for the college’s Dental Surgery Technicians programme.
He, then urged the public to disregard the fake news on the grounds that the 89-year-old institution was known for integrity and academic excellence since it was established till date.
“Dental Therapist Registration Board of Nigeria paid advisory visit on National Diploma Dental Therapy and Certificate for Dental Surgery Technicals, to the college from Aug. 31 to Sept. 2, 2021,” he said.
According to him, the visit was successful, saying that the board advised the college to improve on the facilities on ground with anticipatory approval given for its Dental Surgery Technicians programme.
He said that some of the courses currently being operated by the college were accredited by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and respective professional regulatory bodies, which licenced graduates from the institution.
The council chairman attributed the successes so far made at the institution in the last three years to the support from the Makinde-led administration.
Ogundiwin said that the institution would no doubt celebrate its 90 years of existence in 2023 with more laurels and achievements.(NAN)
