Doctors back health bill, pharmacists cite grey areas

THERE is a sharp disagreement between medical doctors, pharmacists and other health workers in Nigeria on the National Health Bill and the need for President Goodluck Jonathan to sign it into law as passed by the National Assembly.

The health workers expressed the opposing views on the bill when they met in Benin City, Edo State capital, yesterday at a forum organised by the state chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA).

While doctors asked the President to assent to the bill, pharmacists present at the event argued that there were grey areas in the planned law that give undue advantage to the medical doctors and canvassed that they be addressed.

The bill, which has been in the works since 2004, was passed into law by the two Houses of the National Assembly on May 7, 2011.

The state Chairman of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Tunde Akanmu, feared that it might even take a longer time for the National Assembly to effect amendment on the bill if signed by the President.

NMA Chairman, Dr. Philip Ugbodaga, said the bill was not all about the medical sector but all aspects of the country just like the

freedom of Information (FoI) Act was not for journalists alone but for the entire country.

He said the essence of the bill was to ensure those in charge of the health sector in the country live up to expectation, “not every issue can be captured in a bill, but it is a minimum Nigerians can settle with, other areas can be sorted out as amendment”.

Ugbodaga asked Jonathan to bring health services to poor Nigerians by assenting to the National Health Bill passed by the sixth National Assembly.

He said the bill, if assented to by the President, would address gaps in the health sector with good governance and focused leadership devoid of corruption.

Ugbodaga said at least 300,000 women have died during labour and more than six million children have died since 2004 when the bill was presented to the National Assembly.

“Many people with disabilities and the elderly will continue to lack access to quality healthcare any day the bill sleeps at Aso Rock without presidential assent”, Ugbodaga said.