The Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammadu Ali Pate, has reassured Nigerians that the country will overcome the sweeping health policy changes introduced by U.S. President Donald Trump, which included halting funding for healthcare interventions in developing nations.
Prof. Pate made this assertion on Tuesday during the inauguration of the Bayelsa State Hemodialysis Centre and the General Outpatient Centre at the Bayelsa Medical University in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State. The minister emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts across all tiers of government to leverage the country’s resources in meeting the healthcare needs of its citizens.
“We are working to ensure that all the tiers of governments become responsible for the care of our population with the resources that we have,” Prof. Pate said. “We can harness it and we can do it.”
The event was also marked by a significant development in Bayelsa’s healthcare sector, with the inauguration of a new medical facility designed to improve renal care. Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa, motivated by personal loss, highlighted the importance of the new medical services. He shared that the establishment of the Bayelsa State Hemodialysis Centre was driven by the tragic death of his mother from complications of renal failure in 2013.
“When I became governor, I said if there is a jinx in this 500-bed hospital, it must be broken,” Governor Diri said. “Today we are breaking that jinx. We have invested so much and today this hospital is ready for outpatients.”
Governor Diri expressed fulfillment over the fact that Bayelsans no longer have to leave the state for renal care, stating, “I feel very fulfilled today that our people will no longer die of renal failure, and that Bayelsa can now offer these services to Bayelsans and Nigerians. We will continue to do more because health is wealth.”
In addition to the hospital facilities, the Minister inaugurated the Zipline Drone Flight Services, which will assist in the distribution of medical supplies and consumables, ensuring efficient and timely delivery of essential medical resources. The inauguration also included the unveiling of an 800-meter concrete access road to the Zipline facility, further enhancing the state’s medical infrastructure.
Prof. Pate’s remarks come at a time when the global health landscape faces significant challenges, including funding cuts to international healthcare programs.
