The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to improving emergency and intensive care services across Nigeria, pledging to strengthen healthcare financing, expand insurance coverage and deepen public-private partnerships to ensure critically ill patients have access to life-saving treatment without facing financial hardship.
Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, made the commitment on Wednesday while declaring open the 11th Annual Scientific Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Intensive and Critical Care Society of Nigeria (I-CCSN) in Abuja.
The conference, themed “Sustainable Financing for Intensive Care in Public Hospitals in Nigeria,” brought together healthcare professionals, policymakers, researchers and development partners to discuss solutions to the longstanding funding challenges confronting critical care services in the country.
Salako described the conference theme as timely, noting that sustainable financing remains one of the most important requirements for strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare system and guaranteeing access to quality intensive care.
“Critical illness can arise from trauma, infectious diseases, maternal and neonatal complications, surgical emergencies, cardiovascular and neurological conditions, respiratory failure, epidemics and other public health emergencies. Access to quality intensive care often determines the difference between life and death,” he said.
The minister stressed that emergency and critical care services are essential components of a resilient health system and key to achieving Universal Health Coverage and improving national health security.
He acknowledged the enormous cost of running intensive care units, citing the need for specialised infrastructure, modern medical equipment, oxygen systems, uninterrupted power supply, highly trained healthcare professionals and effective quality assurance mechanisms.
Expressing concern over the continued dependence on out-of-pocket healthcare spending, Salako said many Nigerian families are pushed into poverty when faced with the cost of treating critical illnesses.
As part of ongoing efforts to strengthen emergency healthcare delivery, the minister disclosed that the National Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System (NEMSAS) has expanded from its pilot phase in the Federal Capital Territory to 34 states, with plans underway to achieve nationwide coverage.
According to him, government interventions aimed at improving maternal and newborn care, healthcare financing and service delivery must be integrated with ambulance services, intensive care units, operating theatres, oxygen systems, diagnostic facilities and health insurance schemes to deliver better outcomes.
Salako also called for stronger collaboration among federal and state governments, healthcare institutions, professional bodies, academic and research organisations, the private sector and development partners.
“We must work together to build a sustainable critical care system that guarantees access, quality and affordability for all Nigerians,” he said.
The minister further emphasized the need for deliberate investment in healthcare workforce development, including the training of intensive care physicians, critical care nurses, physiotherapists, pharmacists, biomedical engineers and technicians.
He noted that lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic underscored the importance of strengthening medical oxygen systems, revealing that Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) oxygen plants have been installed in several health facilities across the country.
Salako also advocated improved referral systems, regional critical care networks, digital health technologies and tele-critical care services to reduce disparities in access to specialist care.
Earlier, Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Dr. Harrison Nwogu, said the conference would examine the root causes of chronic underfunding of intensive care units and explore innovative financing options, including public-private partnerships, health insurance integration and diaspora investments.
Chairman of the occasion and Chief Medical Director of Zenith Medical and Kidney Centre, Abuja, Dr. Olalekan Olutesi, argued that healthcare financing should not be left to government alone.
“There is no nation in the world where healthcare delivery is funded solely by government. Wealthy individuals should invest in the health sector, while government can encourage such investments through tax incentives and waivers,” he said.
Delivering the keynote address, Professor Daprim Samuel Tamuno-Ojuemi Ogaji called for the development of a sustainable financing framework that would guarantee access to intensive care services regardless of a patient’s financial status.
He identified inadequate infrastructure, shortage of equipment and consumables, and unreliable electricity supply as some of the major challenges affecting intensive care delivery in Nigeria.
Representing the Emir of Tula, Emir of Wase, Alhaji Muhammadu Sambo Haruna, commended the Intensive and Critical Care Society of Nigeria for convening the conference, describing intensive care as a matter of humanity, equity and national development.
According to him, strengthening critical care services is essential because health emergencies affect families and communities across all parts of the country.
