The Senate has decried the poor state of medical infrastructure in the country and the loss of huge resources to medical tourism by Nigerians.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Ifeanyi Okowa, stated this at a public hearing on the National Health Bill on Monday, noting that over N80bn was lost annually as Nigerains seek medical attention overseas.
He said, “It is estimated that over N80bn is lost annually to medical tourism, but more worrying is the state of infrastructure, equipment and staffing of our primary healthcare centres across the nation, as this level of health care caters for over 80 per cent of our health burden as a country.
“This legal framework for the health sector (National Health Bill) is set to provide the platform that ensures better health outcomes, and that the life of every Nigerian counts and is cared for, through guaranteed health financing for primary health care.”
The concern came as President of the Senate, David Mark, urged health workers to close ranks for the development of the nation’s health system.
Mark, represented by his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, said the rivalry among the various professional groups in the sector was antithetical to the provision of quality health services in the country.
He said, “I will like to appeal to all in the health sector to work together and ensure that this bill is passed into law.
“Because most times you hear that the doctors are having problems with the pharmacists or nurses are in disagreement with other professionals in the sector.
“I suggest that since you’ve come together to get this bill passed, you should work with the same spirit to come to a common ground and work together for its effective implementation for the benefit of all Nigerians.”
Noting that Nigerians would not continue to seek medical attention abroad, Marked said the country needed to save money to put its health facilities in good stead.
He added, “It’s not only the rich, even the poor do so because churches contribute money to send people abroad for treatment; families contribute money, and communities contribute money to send their relations abroad for treatment.
“And we cannot continue that way. We need to refocus our health sector. We need to reform our health sector so that all those money that are being spent going abroad for treatment are spent here in Nigeria and that our brothers and sisters who are experts all over the world would come back to Nigeria and establish to help us run a perfect health care system.”
He said the said Senate would work towards the speedy passage of the bill and its subsequent assent by the President.
Meanwhile, stakeholders at the hearing differed on a provision of the bill, which makes it criminal for health care providers to refuse a patient emergency medical treatment for whatever reason.
While, the Nigeria Medical Association wanted to know who would bear the financial cost of such emergencies, the Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, said the Federal Government in line with global best practices, would include budgetary provisions in the bill to take care of such contingencies.
