Health Bill Will Make Nigeria Health Tourism Centre

• Urges Nigerians to pressure N'Assembly on passage

 By Patrick Ugeh

The Health Sector Reform Coalition (HSRC) has said the passage of the National Health Bill (NHB), which has failed to see the light of day since 2006, would not only be able to meet the health needs of the country but also become a hub of health tourism.

That way, the current practice of many Nigerians going abroad for medical treatment would be drastically reduced if not reversed, thus saving the billions of naira lost in foreign exchange annually.

These facts were disclosed at a press briefing in Abuja, by the Executive Secretary of Health Reform Foundation (HERFON), Dr. Muhammed Lecky, on behalf of HSRC.

With him were Dr. Segun Tunde, Executive Director, Evidence for Action; Dr. Amina Aminu, Director of Service Delivery, Partnership for Transforming Health Systems, PATH2; and Dr. David Olayemi of Save the Child.

Considering that it affects everybody one way or the other in terms of providing affordable healthcare for all Nigerians, the coalition urged all citizens to join in putting pressure on the National Assembly to pass the National Health Bill as a New Year gift to them.

HSRC comprises several organisations, including Save the Children, NAWOJ, Federation of Muslim Women, Medical Women Association of Nigeria, and Federation of Women Lawyers, among others.

Lecky, who expressed sadness at the decision of the Senate to shoot down the bill at the third reading, appealed to Nigerians to join hands in asking the lawmakers why they were not passing the proposed legislation.

Although he commended the Senate Committee on Health and its chairman, Ifeanyi Okowa, the coalition noted that there was urgent need to pass the bill into law as soon as possible to save the countless lives of the most vulnerable such as children under five years, expectant mothers and  adults above 65 as well as people living with disabilities.

Also to benefit are 60 per cent of Nigerians living in hard-to-reach rural communities who would receive primary healthcare.

"It would appear that the two per cent consolidated revenue as provided by the National Health Bill is the major cause of the setback. It is believed that the two per cent consolidated revenue of the federal government is about N60 billion ($380 million) for primary health care each year," he said.

According to him, "The fund will guarantee provision of free medical care for the most vulnerable, establishment of minimum healthcare services package for selected groups..."

He said the bill targeted universal coverage with at least basic services and establishes National Primary Healthcare Fund.

The Fund, he noted, would be financed from the consolidated fund of the federation (an amount not less that two per cent of its value), grants by international donor partners, and funds from any other source.

"We as a nation must and can do something. The passage of the NHB is critical to arising to the challenges of our health status in Nigeria.

"There is need to drum up support for the bill from various stakeholders. These include National Assembly, Nigeria Governors' Forum (NGF), market women, media, Eminent Persons Group, traditional and religious groups, etc.," the coalition said.