As Nigeria celebrates 65 years of independence from colonial rule on Wednesday, some senior citizens are urging the government to urgently improve the nation’s health infrastructure.

According to them, governments at all levels should ensure access to affordable, quality healthcare delivery across the country.

Speaking in Lagos on Wednesday, the elderly citizens emphasised that a functional health system was key to fulfilling the promise of independence for all.

Ajani Buhari, a 71-year-old retiree who worked in the private sector, stated that the nation’s healthcare sector has witnessed significant development compared to the past.

Mr Buhari said the increase in the number of both government and private hospitals brought healthcare services closer to the people, as well as advancements in technology over the years.

“Healthcare in Nigeria in the past was not comparable to what we have today. In the past, we had few hospitals owned by the government, but today, the number of government-owned and private hospitals has doubled, thereby bringing healthcare nearer to the people.

“People travelled far distances to access care in the past, and what we had then was a dispensary where doctors would attend to you and give drugs,” he said.

The septuagenarian, however, urged the government to revamp the primary health centres across the country as a way of reducing the workload on healthcare professionals in government hospitals.

“In the past, you couldn’t go to a general hospital unless you were referred to get advanced care, but today, people prefer to visit general hospitals because some of the PHCs are not functioning adequately,” he said.

Additionally, Abosede Aramolate, a 64-year-old retired staff member of the Lagos State Local Government Service Commission, stated that the nation’s health sector had performed well since independence.

Ms Aramolate noted that, despite the improvement, issues such as strikes, shortages of health personnel, inadequate infrastructure, and others still plagued the sector. She urged the government to provide good remuneration, a conducive working environment, and adequate infrastructure that would discourage health workers from leaving the country.

She also urged the government at all levels to provide a sustainable health insurance scheme that would increase access to prompt and affordable care in the country.

Fidelis Chukwuemeka, 73, a former businessman, said that it was unfortunate that the country had yet to get it right in the health sector after 65 years of independent rule.

Mr Chukwuemeka attributed the current state of the sector to a lack of political will from both past and present governments to prioritise the health of Nigerians.

He urged the Bola Tinubu-led government to take a bold step to address the numerous health challenges affecting the country.

Ramon Oluwatosin, a 68-year-old who retired from the Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority, aligned with Mr Chukwuemeka’s views, saying that the country had not performed well in the health sector after 65 years of independence from colonial rule.

According to Mr Oluwatosin, 65 years is a long time for any nation to have advanced, yet the country, as endowed and enlightened, is grappling with issues that were even better handled when the world wasn’t as advanced.

Mr Oluwatosin urged the present administration to change the narrative by paying more attention to the health of all Nigerians, especially the children and the elderly.

In a similar plea, octogenarian Doreen Akinlade urged the government to support practitioners of alternative medicine in the country.

Ms Akinlade noted that many Nigerians still depended on traditional medicines, hence the need for the government to give more attention to alternative medicines and regulate the activities of practitioners.

Francis Dike, 86, emphasized that while Nigeria’s post-independence health system initially focused on public health expansion in the 1960s, subsequent decades have been marked by inconsistent political commitment and chronic underfunding.

Mr Dike had worked as a medical practitioner in Enugu under the former Eastern Region government. According to him, at present, the health system faces immense challenges with “dilapidated infrastructure, massive medical brain drain, and poor access to affordable care.

(NAN)