The Senate joint committee on health and primary health care has taken steps to gift residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) quality health care following a public hearing and presentation of memoranda on a bill to establish Health Insurance Scheme and another to establish the FCT Primary Health Care Board in the Nation’s capital.
The two bills had already passed through first and second reading at the National Assembly, paving the way for a public hearing.
The public hearing, which took place at the Senate conference hall in the National Assembly was co-hosted by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Sen. Olanrewaju Tejuosho and the Chairman Senate Committee on Primary Health, Sen. Mao Ohuabunwa. Sponsor of the two bills and senator representing the FCT, Sen. Philip Aduda, represented the Senate president, Dr. Bukola Saraki.
Also in attendance were the Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Health, Hon. Mohammed Usman; FCT permanent Secretary, Mr. Ohaa Chinyeaka, who represented the FCT Minister, Malam Mohammed Bello; and Mr. Onoriede Ezire, the Country Director of the USAID-funded Health Policy Plus (HP+) project, one of the development partners that supported the FCT in drafting the bills.
Speaking during the public hearing, Sen. Tejuosho said, “Nigeria can prioritize and support the quest of the poor and vulnerable in our society for quality health care, something which the two bills aim to achieve for the FCT.”
In his submission, Sen. Ohuabunwa said, “the attendance of stakeholders at this public hearing attest to the popularity of the two bills. We are working to ensure that before the end of the tenure of this parliament, these bills will become an act.”
Sen. Aduda in his submission said, “Health insurance is a way of signaling to our people that we are willing to improve health care. This bill is one way of showing this commitment.”
Hon. Usman said in his submission that without the role of development partners like HP+, a lot of what was achieved with the bill would not have been possible. He added that Nigeria needs to make health care a priority to meet the needs of the citizens for a qualitative life.
In his presentation, the HP+ Country Director, Mr. Ezire, said, “This is a happy day for us at HP+ as the passage of these bills will improve access to quality health care for residents of the FCT. The bills will address two key issues that limit access to health care services: inability to pay for health care services, especially among the poor and improvement in health care delivery at primary health care level, thus reducing stress/demand on secondary health care facilities.”
After this public hearing, it is hoped that the bills would go through third reading at the Senate before being submitted to the president for assent.
