Senate Canvasses For Accessible Quality Healthcare For Poor Nigerians

The Nigerian Senate has called for accessible quality healthcare for poor Nigerians across the federation through regulating the Health Insurance in the country.

The red chamber revealed quality healthcare to all Nigerians would be achieved through the establishment of National Health Insurance Commission.

The Upper Chamber while considering a bill for an Act to repeal the National Health Insurance Scheme Act, 2004, said the passage of the National Health Insurance Commission Bill, 2019 under consideration by the National Assembly would guarantee the effective implementation of the country’s health insurance policy.

According to Senator Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe (APC, Kwara Central), the bill “is about every family in Nigeria as it is manifestly clear that it is poised to positively affect all Nigerian families.”

He said that the Bill seeks to boost healthcare delivery in Nigeria, provide robust, affordable and sustainable financial mechanisms for health, and reduce the high mortality rate across the country.

The Bill Scaled second reading in the Senate yesterday.

Oloriegbe further stated that the NHIS Commission bill, when passed into law, will strengthen the implementation of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund provided for in the National Health Act 2014, and enacted by the Seventh National Assembly under the leadership of Senator David Mark.

He said, “Nigeria’s healthcare system is in urgent need of reform – the system must refocus to ensure it meets its laudable objectives and global best practices.

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“It is time to provide the legal framework for a new policy shift in order to help poor and vulnerable Nigerians access to quality healthcare without any financial impediment.

“The bill as proposed, if enacted and properly implemented in the form envisaged, will make health insurance compulsory, boost the nation’s health indicators, improve productivity and economic well-being of citizens and enable the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals.

In his remarks, President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, referred the bill to the Committee on Health for further legislative work.