National Council on health meeting holds in Uyo

BY NSEOBONG DAVID

The Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Health  holds the 57th National Council on Health Meeting from 26th to 31st of October 2014 in Uyo.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. EmemAbasi Bassey made this known during a press briefing last week in Uyo.  The weeklong event which is ongoing at Ibom Hall, is said to be the oldest council meeting in the country since the colonial era and will bring health personnel from the 36 states of the Federation including the FCT to Akwa Ibom State.

According to Dr. Bassey; “The National Council on Health Meeting is the highest health making policy body in the country.  Usually, decisions of the national council on health are taken either to the Federal Executive Council or National Council of States for ratification if necessary.  It consist of all the 36 commissioners of health across the country, the secretary of health of the FCT, chaired by the Minister of Health and co-chaired by the Minister of States for health with the Permanent Secretary of council.  

The council is usually preceded by a technical session which is handled by a technical team consisting of all the permanent secretaries of all the 36 Ministry of Health, Permanent Secretaries of health parastatals in the state and the key directors.  So what we are going to have in this state is a situation where we are going to have the Minister for health, and in some cases, we’ll even have the chairman, Senate Committee on health, Chairman of the House of Representatives on health coming down to Akwa Ibom State.”

He further explained that all the key directors of health, permanent secretaries of all the states ministry of health and all heads of health parastatals in the country would attend as observers; as well as all the development partners working on health in the country.

The event which has as its theme: “Universal Health Coverage (UHC): Key to Achieving Sustainable Healthcare Delivery in Nigeria”; is basically the provision of quality, accessible and affordable health care coverage for a population without them suffering from untoward health hardships.  

The Health boss thanked the state Governor, Chief (Dr.) Godswill Obot Akpabio for the support given to the Ministry of Health to afford the rare opportunity of hosting the National Council on Health Meeting; and his uncommon transformation in the state, which creates an enabling environment for others to come and see; and accords a unique opportunity to showcase health facilities in the state to present Akwa Ibom as a medical tourism hub in the country.

Dr. EmemAbasi Bassey assured that the National Council on Health would be an uncommon meeting in an uncommon state.