By Femi Ogunshola
SPEAKER of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has decried poor budgetary allocation to the health sector in the country.
Abbas stated this at a public hearing for four bills, organised by the House Committee on Healthcare Services, in Abuja on Friday.
According to him, the amount allocated to the health sector is grossly inadequate compared to what other countries invest in the sector.
He added that though a considerable amount was appropriated to health annually, it was insufficient to tackle the myriad of problems bedevilling the sector.
Abbas said more needed to be done if the life expectancy of the average Nigerian would rise and infant mortality reduced.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the bills are: Bill for an Act to amend the National Residency Training Act, 2018 and Bill for an Act to amend the National Insurance Authority Act, 2021.
Others include: Bill to amend the National Tobacco Control Act and Bill to establish the Institute of Healthcare Service Administrators of Nigeria.
NAN also reports that the speaker was represented by Rep. Osawaru Adesuwa, member representing Orhionmwon/Ohunmwode Federal Constituency in Edo.
He said it was for this reason that President Bola Tinubu recognised the urgency of the situation and prioritised healthcare as one of the pillars of his Renewed Hope Agenda for Nigeria.
This, he said, was in order to revive the country’s healthcare sector and ensure it received the necessary support and partnership with the private sector.
“Though the federal government appropriates a considerable amount yearly to the health sector, the amount is still grossly inadequate and far below what is invested in other countries.
“It is no longer news that the health sector has, sadly over the years, faced several challenges associated with outbound medical tourism, emigration of skilled healthcare workers, poor salaries and insufficient budgetary allocations.
“It is also sad to note that even though Nigeria has the highest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Africa, the progress it has achieved in health has been rather slow and disappointing,” he said.
Abbas added that more efforts were needed if the country was going to be at par with its Western counterparts.
“Indeed, more needs to be done if the life expectancy of the average Nigerian is to rise as well as a reduction in infant mortality.
“We all know the significance of having a health sector that works. Western countries have taken bold steps to make their health sector first class and second to none, and we must do the same,” he said.
The speaker said that the house would do its part by initiating and amending laws that would always be people-friendly, with the aim of bringing succour and positive change to the health sector in Nigeria.
The acting Chairman of the committee, Rep. Etta Mbora, noted that the healthcare sector in Nigeria over the past few years had gone through a myriad of challenges.
The challenges, he said, included the rising cost of healthcare services, financial challenges for providers and preventable medical errors.
Others were: high mortality rates in both cases, lack of insurance coverage, the need for an improved mental health system, increased demand for personalised care and a well-regulated health care system.
He said even though in recent times, the government had improved funding for health care, it was still inadequate.
Dr Benjamin Oluwatosin, the First Vice-President of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), said it was a surprise to them that the primary constituency of the bill was never contacted for inputs.
Oluwatosin called for the stepping down of the bill in order to get more inputs from relevant stakeholders. (NAN)
