NASS to amend National Health Act
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The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed this in Abuja, during the opening of the 44th/45th Annual General and Scientific Meeting (AGSM) of the West African College of Physicians (WACP), Nigeria Chapter.
Gbajabiamila, represented by Hon. Tanko Sununu, the Chairman, House Committee on Health, said that in the amended act, provisions were made for healthcare service providers to claim funds used to treat gunshot victims during emergencies.
He went further to say Nigeria’s health indices remain poor and the national assembly will play its role through legislation to help address the causes of poor health delivery system in the country, one of which is accessibility.
He said “in the next days to come, we will consider the amendment of the National Health Act which provides the basic framework upon which healthcare in the country is developed.
“The house of representatives is waiting for concurrence from the executive arm of government on the issue of emergency treatment for gunshot victims. We have tried to address the issue of gunshot injuries in the amended Health Act.
“In the previous Act, there was a gap on how this type of emergency should be addressed when presented at the hospital. The source of payment and services rendered to gunshot victims has become a worrisome issue.
“In the amended Health Act, we tried to proffer solutions where practitioners can claim the bills for services rendered to a gunshot victim. This will allow victims to access emergency healthcare promptly.”
The speaker, who noted that the country was currently facing three major crises of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), insecurity and dwindling resources, added that the crises had significantly impacted health indices.
He said “NASS is working toward addressing the challenges by providing effective legislation, oversight, and representation.
“When the COVID-19 came to Nigeria we only had four laboratories to diagnose the virus but due to active budgetary allocation, we now have more than 130 laboratories nationwide that can be used to diagnose the virus.
“We are also trying to address issues affecting the health sector by making healthcare through the health insurance scheme mandatory in the country.
“The national assembly passed the bill already and we are hoping that the executive arm assent to the bill so that every Nigerian will have basic minimum package that he or she can use to sustain health.
“The Basic Healthcare Provision Fund will not only come with a minimum package, but will also improve the health sector’s readiness to address emergencies.
“We are also considering the Infectious Diseases Control Bill which tries to provide for emergency preparedness in the country.”
The speaker, while commending the WACP, assured that the NASS would consider all recommendations made by it after its AGSM and utilise it to influence legislative activities.
MTO/NNN
