The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, has expressed disbelief and lamented the current state of Nigeria’s healthcare infrastructure.
Mr Boss Mustapha who serves as the chairman of the presidential task force on COVID-19 made this known in a meeting with the leadership of the National Assembly on Thursday.
“I can tell you for sure, I never knew that our entire healthcare infrastructure was in the state in which it is. Until I was appointed to do this work,”. Mr Mustapha admitted
The SGF said if advanced countries are overwhelmed and struggling to contain the COVID-19 virus, “then Nigeria needs to improve its own”. He added, “My prayer is that Nigeria’s situation does not escalate to that extent because the country lacked what is required to handle the situation.”
He also spoke on the need for accountability in managing the health crisis. According to Mr Mustapha, the task force will not be directly involved in the disbursement of cash donations for COVID-19.
“The accountant-general of the federation has already published the account details for collection through some commercial banks and also provided the modalities for its utilisation,” he said
The SGF also said the COVID-19 pandemic had provided an opportunity to carry out reforms and ensure more funding for the country’s health system.