New Telegraph

JOHESU: Amendment of NHAct 2014, unnecessary

The Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) has kicked against the move to amend the National Health Act 2014, saying thisplanmustbestopped in the interest of the nation’s ailing economy and specifically to align Nigeria’s health priorities with global realities and expectations. Although, the idea of the amendment is currently being championed by the Health Reforms Foundation of Nigeria (HERFON), Health Sector Reform Coalition (HSRC) and Legistative Network for Universal Health Coverage (LNU), JOHESU/AHPA, which is The Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations, urged stakeholders to sustain the originality of NH-2014 Act which is a good law waiting for an ameliorating balm of progressive and resourcefulness to be implementation in the best interest of Nigerians who desire good and accessible health for all citizens of Nigeria.

The National Chairman of JOHESU, Comrade Bio Joy Josiah who made the call in a statement, said the NH-2014 Act does not need any form of amendment because its need assessment has confirmed “it is not a tested or implemented Act of Parliament.” Comrade Bio consequently urged members of the National Assembly (NASS) “to consider embarking on its oversight responsibilities to compel the Executive to carry out the spirit of NH-2014 Act to the letter in public interest.” According to the national chairman of JOHESU, the JOHESU/AHPA has continued to evaluate the recent activities of the HERFORN, the HSRC and LNU, and “we can suggest albeit very strongly that this whole idea of an unnecessary amendment is driven by a former key personnel of HERFORN who is now a prominent member of the National Assembly and chairman of an influential committee that can substantially dictate the spirit of an unnecessary and scandalous expenditure of government resources for pecuniary interest.”

Globally and most especially at the level of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and donor agencies the philosophy of the care-process was today hinged on Universal health Coverage (UHC).

If funds disbursements are right by virtue of section 11 of NH-2014 Act, Comrade Bio said, “then it will be easy to invoke the functions of Secton 6 of the Act that establishes a Technical Committee which has the Registrar/chief executive officers (CEOs) of the Professional Regulatory Councils in Health and the Presidents of the Registered Professional Associations who can come up with effective and practicable logistic plans to ensure credible healthcare at the grassroot levels.”

Similarly, he said the Professional Service in all the professions can be made available once there are insurance payment mechanisms to compensate for these services. “UHC will certainly not be a mirage in such dispensations,” Comrade Bio added. Furthermore, he stated, “The NASS in particular rather than contemplate a wasteful amendment process of the NH-2014 Act by spending scarce resources on an unnecessary legislativeagendashouldexercise itsoversight responsibilities to ensure that section 11 of the NH-2014 Act is implemented to the latter.”

He therefore called the Federal Government to set up strategic committees listed in the Act including National health Research Ethics Committee and the National Health Management Information System. Typical of the defective Nigerian system where multiple statutes were entrenched for same endeavours, Bio said the same scenario was palpable in the health sector.

“A striking example is the regulation of blood and blood products provided for regulation and control in sections 47 to 53 of part VI of the NH-2014 Act, while the NASS is also proposing a Blood Transmission Commission to regulate and control this same endeavour. “A plethora of similar examples dominates the space in many other areas of our national life but is now becoming common place in our health sector.”

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