The poor state of hospitals in Nigeria was in focus at the House of Representatives last week. The House passed for second reading, a bill seeking to amend the National Health Act 2010.
The major objective of the bill, which was sponsored by Hon Sergius Ogun from Edo State is to restrict public officials from seeking government’s sponsorchip of their medical care abroad. However, they are free to fund such medical trips from their own purse.
One lawmaker after another stated what everyone already knew about health care delivery in the country. As the legislators recounted their frustrations in seeking medicare abroad, for themselves and their loved ones, it was obvious that “the rich also cry.” For the first time in a long time, an issue that would have direct bearing on the wellbeing of the people was passed without opposition and unnecessary politics by members of the Green Chamber.
For me, the move to regulate medical tourism by government officials is a welcome development. One is happy that after several self seeking motions and bills, there is something that can impact directly on the masses. I am excited about the proposal, because it will compel those in authority to begin give serious attention to public hospitals in the country. In 1983, late Head of State, General Sani Abacha described hospitals in the country as mere consulting clinic. Thirty five years down the line, things have gone from bad to worse. I don’t even know if most of our hospitals still qualify to be called “consulting clinics.”
To say the least, public health care in the country, like most other things have completely collapsed. Things are so bad that not even the Aso Rock Clinic, which is designed to take care of the healh needs of the President, his deputy and their respective families, as well as that of other persons, who work in the State House, is spared from this rot. Is it not ridiculous that there is no single hospital in the country that is good to cater for the health needs of the almighty government officials. Yet, Nigeria is the “Giant of Africa.”
Hon Ogun while leading the debate on the bill rightly pointed out that “ Nigeria is the only country where you have a president going abroad for treatment and brought back home to die.Nigeria is the only country where the president would spend six months abroad on medical treatment and nobody knows the cost of the treatment.” It is not in doubt that, because of the collapse of the healthcare delivery in the country, several Nigerians, who depend on public hospitals for their health needs, have died from curable diseases.
But the question is why are our hospitals the way they are? Methinks , it is simply because it caters mainly for the common man, who can neither afford the exorbitant fees charged by good private hospitals in the country nor go abroad for treatment. However, if this proposed piece of legislation eventually becomes law, government officials, who hitherto go abroad to treat “ordinary” catarrh will now like the rest of us, have no choice than to use the public hospitals.
That way they would be compelled to fix the hospitals in their own enlightened safe interest as the bill goes for public hearing, I expect the lawmakers to add a new clause that equally prohibits public officials from accessing health care from private hospital in the country.The point is if the public hospitals are considered good enough for the poor tax payers, then it must equally be good for the almighty public officials. After all, are they not the “servants” of the people.
So, if the “masters” are using public hospitals, it makes no sense for the “servants” to be going abroad or going to private hospitals in the country for medicare. We must use the public hospitals. There is no doubt there are a lot of benefits to be derived from this proposed law.
Apart from getting the govement to make our hospitals functional, it will curb medical tourism and save our country huge revenue. Besides, if by this proposed legislation, the country becomes a centre of excellence in healthcare delivery, Nigeria will then become a toursist centre for neighbouring countries. Imagine the kind of boost the Nigerian economy will get, if the country becomes the destination of choice for for medical care in the West African sub-region. Also, one expects the House to extend this same initiative to the education sector. The legislature should equally come up with a law that compels government officials to send their wards to public school within the country. Ordinarily, it should not matter where a public official decides to educate his or her children.
But since our leaders have allowed the education system in the country to collapse completely, majorly because their children either school abroad or attend good private schools in the country, there must be drastic measures to get them to fix the rot. And this drastic step for me, should begin from enacting a law that forbids anybody that wants to occupy any public office from having his or her ward in a private school.
Suffice it to say that both our public hospitals and schools are currently in shambles, because the high and mighty in the society don’t get to use them. It is imperative for the House as the representatives of the people to rise up for the common man. They should stop playing the ostrich. I like the lawmakers to be guided by the words of Hon Ogun, as he appealed for support for his bill, “If we don’t do something for our people, a day will come when nobody will say he is honourable or distingushed in this country. We will hide this title.”
Buhari and climate change challenge
Recently, the National Assembly passed the Climate Change framework Bill into law, as part of efforts to tackle the negative effects on climate change in the country.
Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Climate Change, Hon Samuel Onuigbo says with the passage of the bill, the legislature has done its part, and expects the executive arm of government to take it up from there.
According to the lawmaker,”For us in the 8th National Assembly, we have passed the Climate Change framework Bill as part of our concerted efforts to tackle this menace. “We strongly urge the Executive to sign the bill into an Act so as to begin the immediate implementation of the law as a way of checkmating the threat to the stability of our nation posed by climate, the need for verifiable practical actions that would guarantee the country’s attainment to climate change commitments.”
Often times, top government officials while speaking at international fora, bemoan the devastating effects of climate change in the country, but do nothing to address it.
One expects that President Muhammadu Buhari, apart from assenting to the Climate Change Bill promptly, will begin to galvanise Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDA) towards tackling the negative effects of climate change in the country.