As documentary showcases failures, challenges of National response
Panellists and other eminent Nigerians at the Lagos premiere of a documentary on the management of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria have called for an effective national health insurance scheme, strengthened primary health care system, and sustainable public-private partnerships, PPP, and a holistically restructured health sector, among others.
The documentary titled: "Unmasked: Leadership, Trust, and COVID-19 in Nigeria", was an eye-opener to what transpired during the response to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria in 2020.
The 95-minute documentary showcases the failures and challenges of the response and essentially serves as catalyst for a conversation on the shortcomings in the nation's public health sector that were unmasked by the pandemic.
A collaborative effort between Daria Media and Zuri24 Media, filmed with the support of MacArthur Foundation and PLAC, the film aims to bring about solutions to healthcare challenges in Nigeria.
The documentary was a rare opportunity to look at what the COVID-19 pandemic exposed about the Nigerian response and to ensure that the nation learned lessons and got things right in the future.
The conversation focused on the issues thrown up by the documentary, specifically on public and private sector collaboration for the development of a robust and effective public health care system, and identification of strategies to bridge the lapses and gaps to response efforts during future health emergencies.
Among the salient issues identified by the documentary were a lack of political will, poor leadership, collapsed or collapsing healthcare system, lack of adequate emergency preparedness, a weak health infrastructure, persistent brain drain, and lack of functional hospital equipment.