• Tuesday, March 19, 2024
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FG wants pharmacists repositioned to aid in fight against viral diseases, others

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Osagie Ehanire, the minister of Health has urged pharmacists, especially Community Pharmacists operating under the licence of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) to reposition and equip themselves against any outbreak of diseases and medical conditions, especially viral diseases as being witnessed in cases of COVID-19, Ebola, Lassa Fever, among others.

Ehanire, who was represented by Olubukola Ajayi, director of Foods and Drugs, Federal Ministry of Health at the 40th Anniversary and Annual National Scientific Conference of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) ongoing in Abeokuta, Ogun state capital, noted that operations and functions of pharmacists, especially Community Pharmacists, who are the first point of call for the sick, should complement the responsibilities of doctors and physicians in healthcare delivery.

Read also: NAFDAC intensifies campaign against fake drugs, others

Speaking on the theme of the Conference – ‘Abuja Declaration: Equipping Community Pharmacists Universal Health Coverage,’, the minister of Health, advocated for all-inclusive universal health coverage for all Nigerians, which he said, pharmacists and other health personnel, have crucial roles to play in achieving universal health coverage if Nigeria as a country could get it rightly in efficacious medical care.

Corroborating Dere Awosika, fellow of the pharmacists’ Council of Nigeria and chair, Access Bank PLC, who was the Chairman of the session and was represented by former Ministry of Health, Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, Ehanire explained that equipping Pharmacists for universal health coverage should be seen as a way of rejigging and repositioning the entire health sector of the country, among all the stakeholders for a better result.

The Minister however declared that all the stakeholders, including the government at all levels, should play their part efficiently and diligently in ensuring a healthy Nigeria and Nigerians in such a way that all health workers, who deal with human lives on a daily basis, do not toy with such lives on excuses that usually lead to striking as professionalism and saviour of human lives should be paramount.

Also, Mojisola Adeyeye, director-general of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), who spoke virtually, stated that the crucial role played in achieving universal health care delivery couldn’t be underplayed as Nigeria, like other countries, need Pharmacists for healthy living.