Report quoting me saying I’m ignorant of poor healthcare systems taken out of context —SGF

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha has said that his statement on Healthcare infrastructure in Nigeria was taken out of context.

Mustapha, who is also the Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, was reported to have on Thursday said he was not aware how terrible the nation’s healthcare infrastructure was, until he was appointed to chair the taskforce.

“I can tell you for sure, I never knew that our entire healthcare infrastructure was in the state in which it is until I was appointed to do this work,” he was quoted to have said.

But at the Presidential Task Force briefing on Friday, Mustapha speaking said:

”Yesterday (Thursday), I mentioned that I became fully aware of the state of our medical system during the execution of this task force assignment, it has become clear that this has been taken out of context.

”I must clarify that I am aware and has indeed been a champion for the reform and transformation of the health care system and in my modest way, I am working assiduously to see the improvement of the health care system in my small community.

”So for anyone to think that I didn’t know the level of the deplorable state of our healthcare systems, that is a complete misinterpretation.

”For those of you that don’t know me well, I came from a rural community. I was born in a village almost 64 years ago that didn’t even have a hospital.

”It had only a small missionary dispensary with one midwife. No birth certificate were offered so I have declaration of age.

“A lot of you sitting here are privileged to have been born in a better and equipped Facility. From birth I knew the state of our medical health care system. I am not a foreigner.

“My statement was taken out of context because that was not the reflection of what I meant.”

At the briefing, the SGF also announced that the Federal Government was working on developing a policy on the use of facemasks in the country as part of the measures to combat the virus.

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“On the issue of face mask, the PTF is trying to develop a national policy on its usage and Nigerians will be duly informed as soon as the policy is finalised,” he said.

Also speaking at the briefing, the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, pleaded with sellers of essential items such as face masks not to use this period to hoard or inflate the prices of the items.

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