Incessant strike affecting Nigeria’s health sector – Senator

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Lanre Tejuosho, has decried the incessant strike in the Nigerian health sector, saying it has adversely affected the progress made so far in the sector.

He also said that the implementation of the National Health Act, 2014 will go a long way in improving the health sector.

Mr. Tejuosho stated this during the budget defence of the Ministry of Health and its agencies in Abuja, according to a statement from the ministry.

Speaking on the National Health Act, 2014, he said implementation of the Act would aid growth in the health sector.

He said the one per cent consolidation fund enshrined in the Act has not been realised because the Act has not been implemented.

The National Health Act seeks to establish a framework for the regulation, development and management of a national health system, to set standards for rendering health services in Nigeria and other matters concerned therewith.

The Act also has the purpose of providing healthcare insurance to poor Nigerians.

In his remark, the Chairman, Primary Healthcare and Communicable Disease Committee, Mao Ohabunwa, reiterated that the National Health Act was a law  passed by the National Assembly, which the Health Ministry and other stakeholders must work together to actualise.

While soliciting the support of the Senate Committee on Health towards achieving the goals of the National Health Act, the Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, noted that some of the challenges in the health sector were personnel cost and outsourcing services. He said outsourcing services cost was very high.

Speaking on the revitalisation of Primary Healthcare Centre, PHC, initiative, Mr. Adewole said that it is part of the Federal Government’s effort to bring healthcare services to the doorstep of the people at the grassroots.

The Federal Government flagged off the scheme to revitalise over 10,000 healthcare centres across Nigeria.

The scheme is to avail poor Nigerians with qualitative and affordable health services, Mr. Adewole had said during the commissioning of the Model Primary Healthcare Centre, Kuchigoro in Abuja.