President Muhammadu Buhari has said Nigeria was committed to the provision of affordable healthcare facilities in the drive to have a healthy population.

At the commissioning of the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital in Calabar on Tuesday, Buhari said that Nigeria’s primary health care system needs to be innovative and quality driven.

“Primary health care is the cornerstone aimed at creating the conditions that improve the general health of the people, meet the particular needs of patients, families and communities.

“Similarly, our secondary and tertiary health care systems must meet the most complicated medical challenges for our people at affordable rates.’’

He explained that the significance of the commissioning could be better understood by making the connection between medical care and productivity.

“Put otherwise, good health and productivity are inextricably related. This underpins this Administration’s vision of what medical services should look like in Nigeria.’’

Good health care, he explained was important to the personnel of the armed forces because of the enormous mental and physical exertion that attends their profession.

“Active-duty personnel must be at peak health for military effectiveness at all times.’’

The President said it was gratifying that the Naval High Command fully appreciated the importance of health and has taken the right steps to progressively expand patients’ access to both preventive and curative medical care services.

“I have no doubt that this hospital and its state-of-the-art equipment, as stated by the Chief of the Naval Staff, would yield enormous health dividends to the naval personnel, their families and to the host community.

“The development of the hospital is a great leap forward, but the envisaged benefits would fizzle out without diligent maintenance.

“It is pleasing to note that the Original Equipment manufacturers Seimens Healthineers and Sirona Dental Systems of Germany are here to witness this epoch-making event and intend to partner with the Nigerian Navy to ensure the adequate training and sustainability of the critical equipment.’’

He charged the stakeholders to ensure the sustenance of the high standard of the hospital and build upon it to justify its existence as an international standard medical centre. (NAN)

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