Doctors, pharmacists and other stakeholders have disagreed over the propriety of the National Health Bill (NHB), which has passed second reading in the National Assembly.
The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) is backing the bill, the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), and Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN), among others are against the bill.
PSN and others are calling for the bill’s amendment before passage. The bill, they said, favours medical doctors than other professionals.
PSN enjoined the National Assembly to amend Section 1(1), Section 6(2) (f), (g) and (h), Section 9(2) (a) and Section 13 to make room for a law that protects the interest of all and ultimately serve the public interest.
Its President, Mr Olumide Akintayo, said the Federal Ministry of Health must be compelled to exercise its supervisory functions over agencies of the Federal Government under it, especially National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
He said: “We have no hesitation that Nigeria deserves a Health Act but such Acts of Parliament must be packaged to be time tested by removing all tendencies to confine requisite personnel permanently to “Senior” and “Junior” partners in endeavours that should revolve around a team spirit.”
AMLSN described the bill as controversial and unacceptable.
Its Lagos State branch chairman, Mr Olawale Oladubu, said: “If the argumen ts in the Senate, at the public hearing, was anything to go by, the bill will be not implementable, especially if the views expressed by stakeholders are not adequately documented in the proposed law.”
Oladubu said statistics showed that of the 66 clauses in the bill, 48 attracted heavy criticisms from the stakeholders.
“For instance, Section 53 of the bill provides that only medical practitioners are eligible to take blood samples from patients. Such provision relegated medical practitioners who are trained for higher career challenges and positioned for technological advancements, and should therefore be reviewed,” he added.
Dr Olalekan Olubajo of National Primary HealthCare Development Agency (NPHCDA), said: “It is a bill of inclusion, which is aimed at protecting and prioritising the rights of Nigerians to get basic minimum package of health care. For instance, there is no protection for anybody who is involved in a motor accident when brought to any health facility if such cannot pay. But with the passage of the NHB, such accident victims can receive free health care and by so doing lives are saved.
NMA President Dr Osahon Enabulele, said NHB has provided a framework for the regulation, development and management of a national health system, adding: “It sets standards for the provision of health services in the federation, and other matters connected therewith.”
Enabulele said the National Assembly’s failure to pass the bill would worsen limit access to health care services, especially at the primary health care level.
He said: “Indeed, the National Health Bill, 2012 substantially captures the legitimate aspirations of Nigerians for greatly improved access to quality health care services; indeed aside from engendering an equitable health care system, the bill seeks to ensure that no Nigerian, particularly the rural poor, dies as a result of his inability to pay for health care services, including medical care for emergencies, accident and gunshot injury victims.”
He said the passage of the bill would address medical tourism through which Nigeria loses over $500 million yearly.
The Civil Society Organisation (CSO) want the National Assembly to remove what they described as offensive sections of the NHB 2008 that are replicated in the NHB 2012.
The CSOs are opposed to provisions of the bill, which it said encourage abortion, cloning and giving the Health Minister absolute powers over human embryos and other matters.
Their spokesperson, Sonnie Ekwowusi, said except the contentious sections were removed, the NHB may not achieve its ultimate goal of providing adequate health care for the people.
