The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) have warned the Federal Government of imminent court action and continuous solidarity walk if it refuses to heed the call to implement the National Health Act passed in 2014.NMA President, Dr. Mike Ogirima who led the protest walk as part of the programme lined up to mark this year’s Annual Physicians week in Abuja, said the National Health Act was signed into law in 2014 and since then, the government has failed to implement the law, which provides that not less than one per cent from the consolidated revenue fund be set aside for basic health care provision funds.
The doctors also vowed to exhaust several options to get the federal government’s attention on the matter. “There are so many things we’ll do, this is advocacy, courtesy calls shall also be implemented, we shall not sleep, in two weeks time, you shall hear from us again, we will continue to walk; and Government shall be taken to court by the Nigerian doctors, if these laws are not implemented”, said Prof. Mike Ogirima, the President of the NMA
Also speaking during the walk, Country Representative ONE, Mr. Edwin Ikhuoria said the demand for the implementation of the NHAct is not what should be pleaded for but a right by all Nigerians as it has to do with their wellbeing.
He said, “we are joining the Nigerian Medical Association and we are saying that the law must be implemented otherwise, it is our right, the right of Nigerians, it took ten years to get this law passed, we are no longer begging, we are demanding that it be implemented, or we ask the court to tell us whether the federal government is doing the right thing or not”, said Mr. Edwin Ikhuoria, Country Representative ONE, a civil society and advocacy organization, who also joined the doctors
The NHActs states that one percent of consolidated revenue of the country be made available to provide basic healthcare services to all Nigerians especially the poor. It also stated that 50% of the revenue be given to the National Health Insurance Scheme as basic minimum health package (health for all) while 45% of the funds be given to the National Primary Health Care Development Agency for provision of essential drugs and vaccines, Laboratory equipment and Logistics and also for human resources for its activities. The other five percent is to be given to the federal ministry of health for emergency medical treatment.
It’s been two years since the passage of the national health act, yet there has been silence on its implementation.
Source:MWN
