By Joseph Erunke, Abuja

A coalition of concerned Nigerians has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in the nation’s health sector, citing persistent manpower shortages, inadequate infrastructure and growing concerns over access to quality healthcare.

The group, under the aegis of the Coalition of Concerned Nigerians on Health Reform, made the call at a press conference on Thursday, saying urgent and coordinated intervention is needed to address challenges confronting the country’s healthcare system.

Reading a prepared text of the event, the Coordinator of the group, Muniretu Isa,said Nigeria’s healthcare sector is facing increasing pressure due to a shortage of medical personnel, with many healthcare professionals emigrating in search of better opportunities abroad.

Citing figures presented at the Ordinary General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors ,NARD, the group said about 55,000 licensed doctors are currently available to serve a population of more than 220 million people.

It noted that the shortage has placed enormous pressure on hospitals, leading to long waiting times for patients, delayed emergency care and limited access to specialist services, particularly in rural communities where many primary healthcare centres lack adequate personnel, medicines and equipment.

The coalition also expressed concern over recurring industrial disputes involving healthcare workers, attributing them to issues such as remuneration, welfare, workforce shortages, poor working conditions, inadequate funding for residency training and the need for improved hospital infrastructure.

According to the group, many public hospitals continue to grapple with ageing facilities, obsolete medical equipment, inadequate laboratory services, unreliable electricity supply and shortages of essential medicines.

The coalition further observed that rising medicine costs, inflation and dependence on imported pharmaceuticals have made treatment increasingly unaffordable for many Nigerians, while maternal and child mortality, as well as the burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases, remain significant public health concerns.

It called on the Federal Government to implement a comprehensive recovery programme centred on the emergency recruitment and retention of healthcare workers, improved welfare packages, increased investment in hospitals and primary healthcare centres, modernisation of medical equipment, expansion of residency training, stronger local pharmaceutical production, increased healthcare funding, wider health insurance coverage and measures to address the migration of health professionals.

The coalition also expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of reforms in the sector and urged the President to take decisive steps to strengthen healthcare delivery across the country.

It stressed that timely intervention would help improve access to quality healthcare and enhance the resilience of Nigeria’s health system.