Dogara decries high rate of foreign medical trips by Nigerians

….Good laws critical to improving health services-Rep. Okafor 

 

By Kemi Yesufu, Kehinde Ayanfe

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Yakubu Dogara has decried the high rate of foreign medical trips by Nigerians even as he called for total overhaul of the health sector to engender efficiency.

 

Speaking at a public hearing organized by the House Committee on Healthcare Services at the National Assembly, Dogara also described as worrisome the attendant brain drain in the heath sector and suggested a quick intervention to guarantee efficient and effective service delivery.

Dogara was represented at the hearing by the House Deputy Minority Leader, Rep. Chukwuka Onyema.

The two bills under consideration are a Bill for an Act to Repeal the Health Records Officers         (Registration, etc) Act, CAP. H2 of the Laws of the     Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and Re-enact the Health       Information Practitioners Council of Nigeria for effective       and efficient Health Information Management, to Regulate        the Training, Practice and Management of Health   Information System in Nigeria and a Bill for an Act to Amend the Institute of Chartered Chemists of Nigeria Act, CAP 1.112, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, to Provide for the Role of the Chemist, the Regulation of Practicing Fees by Members of the Institute; and for Other Related Matters.

 

According to Speaker Dogara, ” The ultimate aim of these Legislations is to ensure that we have a more efficient service delivery in the health sector.  There is a compelling need for us to overhaul our health sector in view of the continuous public outcry against our defective healthcare delivery.  The high number of Nigerians who go on foreign medical trips and the brain drain that we witness among our professionals in the sector, are indications that our health sector requires a serious surgical operation”.

 

“On our part, the National Assembly will always use its powers to legislate for the betterment of our health sector as a matter of priority.  In this digital age, there will always be need to update our Laws to meet with the contemporary global best practices, and the National Assembly will continue to be responsive in that regard”.

 

He further highlighted that both bills were aimed at improving the practice of their professions by two important professionals in the Healthcare system.

He said, “the first Bill, which deals with healthcare data management by Health Information Practitioners, seeks to repeal an outdated Act and to enact a new one.  This is to enhance an effective and efficient Health Information Practice in the country.  Without any doubt, efficient Healthcare Data Management will help us to improve research, policy-making and policy decisions in our healthcare”.

“The second Bill, which seeks to amend the Institute of Chartered Chemist Act, is also to ensure proper regulation of the Profession by its Council.  I wish to note that a properly regulated profession will lead to greater motivation, continuous training, closer peer interaction and better performance by the practitioners”.

Earlier in his address, Chairman House Committee on Healthcare Services, Rep. Chike Okafor, expressed optimism that the passage of both bills will be a stepping stone towards the reformation of the health sector in providing quality patient care that will match up to international standards.

“Today’s public hearing presents the opportunity for relevant stakeholders to make their inputs and recommendations towards the passage of these bills for a better outcome in our healthcare delivery system”, Okafor said.