By EricJames Ochigbo
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo says he will introduce a bi-annual free mandatory medical screening for every Nigerian if elected president in 2027.
Adebayo made the pledge while outlining his proposed reforms for Nigeria’s health sector at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Personality Interview Series on Sunday in Abuja.
He said the absence of family doctors and regular health checks meant that many Nigerians only sought medical attention after developing symptoms.
Adebayo said that the initiative would shift the country’s healthcare system from treating illnesses to prevention and early detections.
He said that common illnesses accounted for a large proportion of health presentations in the country and could be reduced through effective preventive healthcare and access to affordable medicines.
The SDP presidential candidate said that diseases such as cancer could be managed if detected early, stressing that his administration would provide for improved cancer screening in the country.
According to him, every Nigerian will be provided with a government-accessible medical record linked to their National Identification Number (NIN) which would double as their medical insurance number.
“Once you are a Nigerian living in the country, you should have a medical insurance number that is the same number as your NIN.
“Once you have that, you are entitled to mandatory and free medical screening twice a year. So you will get a text message telling you about the day for your medical screening,” he said.
Adebayo described the term “medical tourism” as a euphemism for the failure of Nigeria’s healthcare system, attributing the situation to inadequate investment in the sector.
He quoted Chapter Two of the Constitution as stating that the welfare and security of the people shall be the priority of government.
The presidential candidate explained that the welfare of citizens must encompass access to food, healthcare, housing and employment.
He said that the primary healthcare would form the foundation of his proposed reforms, with greater emphasis on disease prevention, vaccination and availability of essential medicines.
Adebayo said that if elected, his administration would also prioritise the welfare of doctors, nurses, radiographers and other healthcare professionals to discourage migration of medical personnel abroad.
He promised to provide healthcare workers with improved working conditions, including housing, transportation, free education for their children, training and other incentives.
The presidential candidate emphasised the need for expansion of medical education, saying that Nigeria was turning away many young people seeking admission to study medicine despite the country’s shortage of medical professionals.
He said public hospitals would get significant investment in infrastructure, including isolation wards and other facilities, for effective infection control if elected president.
Adebayo said that healthcare could not be separated from other areas of national development, including electricity, roads, food security and housing.
He said poor roads could endanger the patients being transported by ambulances, while unstable electricity could damage medical equipment and disrupt the healthcare delivery system.
Adebayo also linked nutrition and housing to public health, saying malnutrition could weaken citizens’ immune systems, while inadequate housing and water supply could undermine hygiene.
He said that if elected president, he would adopt an integrated approach to social-sector investment in which healthcare policy would be linked with nutrition, sanitation, housing and other basic amenities.
“The combination of preventive healthcare, improved medical infrastructure, better welfare for health workers and investment in social services would ultimately reduce Nigerians’ dependence on foreign hospitals.
“We need to put all these things together so that medical tourism will be a thing of the past,” Adebayo said.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
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Edited by Francisco Onyeukwu/’Wale Sadeeq