By Abiemwense Moru
Abuja – The House of Representatives has called on Federal Government to embark on comprehensive review and upgrade of tertiary health system in the country to international standard.
The House said the measure became necessary to curb the increasing rate at which Nigerians travelled for medical attention abroad.
The call followed a motion by Rep. Segun Adekola (Ekiti-PDP) during plenary on Wednesday in Abuja.
Adekola said “studies had shown that if the 20 teaching hospitals in the six geo-political zones of the country were refurbished and made to function optimally, Nigerians would not need to travel abroad for medical treatment.”
According to him, the measure will also prevent brain drain in the health sector.
He added that in 2017, N303 billion of the Federal Government budget was allocated to health sector, which was less than five per cent of the total budget.
The lawmaker stressed that the one per cent consolidated funds which the National Health Act 2014 stipulated should be for universal health coverage with health insurance and primary healthcare.
This, he said, had never been implemented since the Act was enacted in 2014.
According to him, the National Hospital Abuja that is built to offer world class health services is perhaps the most obvious demonstration of this problem “as it has become a shadow of its former self, beset by glaring cases of insufficient equipment, including non-functioning MRI and linear accelerator machines.”
He said Nigeria was a major signatory to the Abuja Declaration of Africa Heads of Governments which resolved to adopt a minimum of 15 per cent as national health budgets for members.
According to him, Nigeria has never exceeded six per cent since 2001 when the decision was taken.
He said available statistics showed that Nigerians spent over N360 billion yearly on medical treatment abroad, the most popular destinations being India, UK, Germany, United States, Israel and some other countries in the Middle East.
The motion was unanimously adopted by members when it was put to voice vote by the Speaker, Mr Yakubu Dogara.
The House resolved to set in motion necessary machineries that would ensure upward review of the budgetary allocation to health sector to meet the minimum 15 per cent recommended by 2001 Abuja Declaration.
The House said this would enhance full implementation of the budget in the health sector to elevate the quality of medical services available in the local health institutions.
The House also mandated the Committee on Labour, Employment and Productivity to ensure implementation. (NAN)
