By CHIOMA OBINNA

President Goodluck Jonathan has been urged to prioritise the recently launched Universal Health Coverage in the country.

Founder of Lagoon Hospitals, Professor Emmanuel Elebute, who made the call in Lagos while accepting the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Awards, said there is need for Federal government to ensure that the project survives unlike other initiated projects that were launched but not implemented.

Elebute, who is also Founder of Hygeia HMO, called for priority in execution of healthcare projects in the implementation of the proposed Universal Health Insurance Scheme.
“The Federal Government as a matter of necessity must take the execution of insurance scheme very serious. This is where most health project fails.”

“Universal Health Coverage is where healthcare must get to. Dreams without execution are only mere hallucinations. There is need for federal government to execute the project and the execution of the programme will bring the best healthcare for the country,” he added.

Elebute who was with his wife, Professor  Oyin Elebute, while receiving the award dedicated the award to staff of Lagoon hospitals, Hygeia HMO, University College, Ibadan and Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi Araba, Lagos were his career and profession was shaped and build by the individuals and institutions he worked with. “I remained grateful to them.”

Speaking, the NHEA Project Director, Dr Wale Alabi, explained that the award is to recognise the rapid growth of the healthcare sector and the capacity of health officers to influence and set new performance standard in Nigeria and beyond.

“We designed the ward to celebrate and recognize best individuals and organisations that have contributed in a remarkable manner to the improvement of the Nigerian healthcare sector.  This will not only suggest framework for achieving global standards of healthcare across the country but will also give nominees and recipients the opportunity to critically view their operative modalities creating a challenge and will to improve.