The Senate has explained why it prevailed on the executive arm of government to implement the provision of the National Health Act, 2014, which stipulates that a minimum of one percent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund be set aside for basic healthcare.
Its committee on health declared at a press conference yesterday that the activation of that clause made it possible for the sum of N57.15 billion to be voted for basic health.
Chairman, Senate Committee, Lanre Tejuoso, said the federal legislature has lived up to its promise by including basic health care provision package in the 2018 budget.
He said the implementation of the act is a game changer for primary health care in the country.
Although there was no provision for basic health care in the budget proposal submitted by President Muhammadu Buhari last year, it was accommodated in the 2018 budget by the National Assembly because of the increase in oil price benchmark from $45 to $51 per barrel.
Tejuoso also revealed that a toll-free line would be opened for people to lay complaints about activities of primary health centres, adding that the funds would be distributed to the centres directly.
He said: “Every primary centre will have some money coming directly to the health centre and not going to the local government before they give it to them.
“So there is no reason for that primary health centre not to have basic drugs and not to have salaries to pay the nurses, even the strike will be a thing of the past”.
He said that 50 percent of the fund would be dedicated for disease control. Read more<<<<<
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