Deputy health minister Iziaq-Adekunle Salako says the federal government is taking deliberate steps to effectively address electricity challenges affecting healthcare delivery across Nigeria’s health facilities nationwide.

Mr Salako said this on Thursday in Abuja at the 11th Scientific Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Intensive and Critical Care Society of Nigeria, focused on strengthening intensive care services.

The conference, supported by the World Federation of Intensive and Critical Care, has the theme “Sustainable Financing for Intensive Care Units in Public Health Facilities”.

Other conference sub-themes include data management in critical care, sepsis in Nigeria from diagnosis to survival, and mechanical ventilation in low-resource settings, aimed at improving outcomes in intensive care.

Mr Salako said the federal government had introduced the “Health Power Initiative” to tackle electricity shortages affecting healthcare facilities and improve power supply for efficient service delivery across hospitals nationwide.

He expressed optimism that the initiative would significantly improve electricity supply in hospitals, thereby enhancing healthcare services, patient safety and the overall functionality of critical medical equipment nationwide.

The minister also highlighted recent government interventions, including the deployment of 145 tricycle ambulances, six boat ambulances and other equipment to strengthen the National Emergency Medical Service.

According to him, the interventions represent important milestones in improving maternal healthcare, stressing that building a sustainable health system requires continued investment, expansion and fellowship opportunities nationwide.

Earlier, Olalekan Olatise, chief medical director of Zenith Medical and Kidney Centre, Abuja, urged the federal government to introduce tax waivers for Nigerians investing in the health sector.

He said such incentives would attract more private-sector participation, encourage investment, and contribute significantly to the growth and development of healthcare infrastructure nationwide.

Mr Olatise, who also chairs the conference, urged governments to urgently address electricity challenges in the health sector, noting that inadequate power supply continued to undermine healthcare delivery.

He noted that intensive care equipment remained costly, while many hospitals lacked adequate supplies, calling on policymakers to support efforts to bridge existing gaps in critical care.

“Zenith Medical and Kidney Centre, Abuja, is taking steps to establish a 10-bed intensive care unit in the hospital. In the past, it was difficult to access foreign exchange for investments in the country, but the Ministry of Health is gradually making the process easier for us,” he explained.

Mr Olatise said the Intensive and Critical Care Society of Nigeria had recorded significant growth over the years and continued to make meaningful contributions to the development of healthcare services.

(NAN)