House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila has said that the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the ills bedeviling the nation’s health sector, leading to interventions by the parliament.
Gbajabiamila, who spoke at the closing of three-day training for health workers, assured that the National Assembly would continue to provide funds to strengthen the health sector.
He said since the inception of the Ninth House, there have been a lot of unprecedented interventions in the health sector by the National Assembly, including addressing issues related to industrial actions by health workers.
The Speaker said the health sector needs a lot in terms of infrastructure and others, saying: “We’re all aware that in Nigeria, we have health problems: problem with our infrastructure, problem with our health personnel and so many other things.
“But in the last couple of years, the covid-19 pandemic exposed the underbelly of our health institutions. It was that covid-19 experience, I believe, that triggered a lot of interventions that the House of Representatives and my office have made in the health sector.
“We have our Legislative agenda in the House of Representatives and health reform is a cardinal part of our Legislative Agenda. We have been doing all we can in terms of budgeting and other things. It was because of the deficit that we faced that we approved a lot of money to go into the health sector.
“It may not be enough, but we’re going to continue. We’re trying to tighten some of our laws. I make bold to say that we’ve been very supportive of the health workers.
“Never before has the House of Representatives involved itself with the health sector in Nigeria, including trying to resolve health issues and getting involved in the strike action between health workers and the government. There are a lot of those interventions.
“Health workers are very important. There’s no telling how many lives will be lost by just one health worker embarking on strike, not to talk about a whole association.”
“That’s why during our time in the Ninth House, any time we sense the possibility of health workers downing their tools, we act quickly. I’ve been to your headquarters in Abuja to talk to your members, and I’m glad that they’ve been very cooperative.”
The Speaker appealed to members of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) to join forces with the National Assembly to tighten health laws to enable some health workers to sit up.
In a his remarks, President-elect of the World Medical Association, Dr. Osahon Enabulele, said medical practitioners have been clamouring for the political will to advance healthcare and thanked the Speaker for his intervention.
“We are calling on others to emulate this kind of brilliant example. It’s through such things that we can advance health issues. It shows that Mr. Speaker understands the nexus between good health and ethical conducts.”
President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Prof. Innocent Ujah, hailed the Speaker’s “noble and innovative approach to health issues.”
He called on him to ensure the continuation of such interventions, noting that medical ethics is an important part of medical practice.