Why is the Health Bill so important? One of the critical factors holding the development of our health sector is blurred responsibilities for providing for our health care across the various arms of government. The bill, in its present format is not perfect by any means, but anything is better than the impasse the sector is currently in. Without a legislative framework to make progress, the sector has remained in the dark. Contained in the health bill, in between the legal speak are the following critical innovations.
1. The establishment of a National Tertiary Hospitals Commission, a corporate body which will among other things establish minimum standards to be attained by the various tertiary health facilities in the nation and also to inspect and accredit such facilities, set standards and criteria for allocation of funds from the Federal Government, monitor their utilisation, collate, analyse and publish information in relation to tertiary health.
2. The establishment of a National Primary Health Care Development Fund that will be be financed directly from the consolidated fund of the Federation, with 2% cent of its value, with 50% earmarked for the provision of primary care via the National Health Insurance Scheme and the other 50% for drugs, infrastructure and human resources for primary health care to be managed by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency through State Primary Health Care Boards.
3. Legal duties on a health care provider: A health care provider, health worker or health establishment shall not refuse a person emergency medical treatment for any reason. Making this explicit by law means that I can sue any health care provider that fails to provide care in an emergency. This that can lead to a fine of N10,000.00 or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding three months or to both fine and imprisonment.- and of course a criminal record and its consequences.
The biggest risk to the National Health Bill at the moment is that a huge amount of funds have been earmarked for management by the NHIS, an organisation that has failed in its mandate in financing the provision of health care for the Nigerian people and is currently embroiled in a leadership quagmire as the Executive Secretary sued the Federal Government of Nigeria for allegedly retiring him prematurely. The Federal High Court in Abuja granted the current Dr. Waziri Dogo Mohammed, the current Executive Secretary of the NHIS an interim injunction restraining the previous Minister of Health, Professor Osotimehin from interfering with his job as Executive Secretary, pending the determination of a motion he filed challenging his removal from his tenured appointment as Executive Secretary of the NHIS. While this is going on - the NHIS has remained another part of the Nigerian puzzle.
In all the excitement of the elections, we had a short bout of hope when it was intially annouced that Dr Ibrahim Oloriegbe had defeated Dr Olusola Saraki in the senatorial elections in Kwara, Ibrahim will be remembered as the first executive secretary of HERFON that drove the development of the National Health Bill to its present state. Sadly, this was not to be. We hope that Ibrahim continues to seek the opportunity to serve his people.
Finally, lets see what the elections hold for the Nigerian people. Maybe, just maybe we will elect a leader that will give the health sector the priority it deserves....and a new group of senators that will take our health a little more seriously.
4 comments:
Passing a bill is not the most important thing taking the health of Nigerians important.The health minister just want to score a cheap point with the health bill. Nigerians have been deceived enough. If the President assent to the bill the health indices will further worsen, so lets check it
I really appreciated your post, this would really provide the great information .Thanks for sharing.
wheelchairs
the bill took long because medical doctors selfishly want to control others and use the law to make them their slaves forever.If Jonathan had signed it it would have been the death penalty for our health sector.pls go through that bill and you will wonder where these medical doctors got their training from.above all you will wonder where our senators fall from.it has gone back again.go to our hospitals and see the rot NMA have caused NMA will by this action of the president see that 2011 is not 1984.we have a president that is educated not military junta that Prof. Ransome Kuti deceived in 1984 to kill our health system.if not the men in establishment no health care professional apart from medical dr will be of any value here
I'd like someone to please copy and paste the objectionable parts of the health bill. The bill contains some pretty great provisions that can unplug the lock jam in our health care system. It provides for secure funds for some of the best buys in health - primary health care, prevention care, vaccines - to name a few. Lets not cut our nose to spite our face. Let it rest. The bill has been in limbo for the past 6 years. It took the threat of old women going naked on the streets (an abomination) to get the bill passed. Nay sayers, please repent. Mr. President, please ascent.
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