Prof. Taiwo Adebayo, an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, has called for increased funding of Nigeria’s health sector to reduce medical tourism and improve access to quality healthcare.
Adebayo made the call on Wednesday in Abuja while delivering the inaugural lecture in honour of Maj.-Gen. Obashina Ogunbiyi, organised by the Intensive and Critical Care Society of Nigeria (I-CCSN).
Speaking on the theme, “Oxygen as Lifeline: Building Resilient Critical Care Systems in Nigeria,” Adebayo said the country’s critical care units required urgent revitalisation to respond effectively to medical emergencies.
According to him, Nigeria’s healthcare system remains under pressure despite the growing healthcare needs of its population.
“We have sick people seeking care from a sick healthcare system. We need to improve healthcare financing, and the government must invest more in healthcare infrastructure.
“Government must also address the factors driving Nigerians abroad for medical treatment and encouraging healthcare professionals to leave the country,” he said.
Adebayo stressed the need to expand oxygen access beyond federal tertiary hospitals to primary and secondary healthcare facilities, where most Nigerians receive treatment.
“Unless we improve oxygen access at the primary and secondary healthcare levels, more people will continue to die in local communities.
“Critical care should be regarded as an essential health service, and the National Health Insurance Scheme should cover intensive care so that patients do not delay treatment because of cost,” he said.
He also called for increased intensive care unit (ICU) bed capacity nationwide and greater investment in training personnel to manage oxygen systems and critical care facilities.
Adebayo commended Ogunbiyi, a Professor of Public Health and member of I-CCSN, for his contributions to public health development in Nigeria.
Also speaking, Dr. Salma Anas-Ibrahim, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Health, said the Federal Government remained committed to strengthening the health sector and achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
She said the government had made significant progress but acknowledged that more work was needed to attain its healthcare goals.
According to her, the government has commenced the installation and rehabilitation of oxygen plants in major hospitals across the country as part of efforts to improve critical care services.
In his remarks, Ogunbiyi said his passion for medicine began in childhood and encouraged young doctors to pursue their careers with commitment, resilience and empathy.
He urged them not to be driven solely by financial rewards but to uphold compassion, which he described as the hallmark of the medical profession.
Ogunbiyi also commended the Federal Government for increasing budgetary attention to the health sector, saying recent investments reflected greater commitment to the principles of the Abuja Declaration.
