Most Homes in Nigeria Now Resort to Prayers When They are Sick – Obi

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party,  has expressed deep concern over the deteriorating state of Nigeria’s health sector, highlighting that many households now rely on prayers for healing due to the exorbitant cost of medicines.

Obi gave these remarks on Wednesday at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, during the 6th Public Lecture of the Board of Fellows, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (BOF-PSN).

In his keynote address themed “Access to Quality Medicines in An Unstable Environment,” Obi criticised the government for its lack of support towards local pharmaceutical industries, which has led to a mass exodus of pharmaceutical companies from the country and, consequently, skyrocketing drug prices that the masses cannot afford.

I visited a primary health centre on the outskirts of Abuja in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and discovered that there were 50 pregnant women in the hospital, and only one medical staff attending to them, Obi recounted.

“There are about 24,000 primary health centres in the country, but how many are functional?“

Obi decried the insufficient allocation to health in the current national budget, emphasising the urgent need to prioritise health issues.

He called for comprehensive health insurance coverage for all citizens and a deliberate government policy to ensure the local production of drugs and medicines.

We need to dismantle the type of leadership we have in the country, and everyone must show commitment to install a government that will provide good governance; otherwise, we can’t move forward, he urged.

“The prices of drugs today are so high that in most homes, the only good medicine they know is prayers. We cannot continue like this.”

Dr. Joel E. B. Adagadzu, chairman of BOF-PSN, praised Obi for his unwavering commitment and sacrifices in advocating for a new Nigeria. He affirmed that pharmacists in the country are equally dedicated to improving the health sector.

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Oluwasegun Sanusi

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