CBN okays N100bn loan for health sector

Central Bank of Nigeria has set aside N100 billion as loan to encourage private sector participants in the health sector as independent and partners with the government.

Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said this at the Cardiocare Multispecialty Hospital Complex ultra-modern Cathlab in Abuja.

The minister said the government would encourage private sector participants to join hands with the government in developing innovative strategies to provide healthcare access to all Nigerians.

He said the ultra-modern cardiac catheterisation laboratory, cardiac surgery theatre and multi-specialty health facility are laudable projects in the specialty area of cardiac care.

Ehanire urged more private sector entities to enter the health space.

According to the minister, the World Health Organisation has affirmed cardiovascular disease as the number one cause of deaths globally, taking an estimated 17.9 million lives each year, which is 31 per cent of all global death.

He added that in Nigeria, cardiovascular disease remained a great public health concern.

According to him, the non-communicable disease programme under the Federal Ministry of Health has reported that cardiovascular diseases are responsible for 11 per cent of the over two million non-communicable disease-related deaths annually.

The Group Medical Director of Limi Hospital, Dr Iseko Iseko, said with the country losing over $1 billion annually to medical tourism, the health ministry had to commit several health centres to addressing issues related to availability of quality medical care.

Iseko said the cardiocare hospital had successfully carried out over seventy minimally invasive interventional procedures between set up in February and the official launch in November 2020.