Yemi Obafemi
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate, has said that the health sector has enjoyed relative stability over the past two and a half years, with no major disruptions in service delivery.
Speaking on Sunday Politics on Channels Television, Pate noted that industrial harmony has largely been maintained, except for a brief period when resident doctors embarked on industrial action over long-standing, inherited issues.
“I have to say that in the last two and a half years, we experienced relative harmony,” the minister said. “We have not had major disruptions in services, except for the period where resident doctors not the medical association, not the Medical and Dental Consultants only the trainee physicians, took on issues that were legacy issues for a very long time.”
Pate stated that the administration of President Bola Tinubu has taken deliberate steps to improve the welfare of medical doctors and other health workers, stressing that efforts are ongoing to enhance conditions of service for health personnel at all levels.
According to him, reforms in the sector require careful planning and cannot be implemented hastily.
“You don’t do things like that off the head,” he said, reiterating the Federal Government’s commitment to building a healthy and well-supported health sector, while also calling for patience.
The minister further emphasised the importance of continuous dialogue between health workers and government authorities, noting that not all demands can be met at once.
“You cannot expect that all that you asked for will be done,” he added.
