The Senate yesterday passed for second reading a Bill seeking to reform the health care system of Nigeria.
The Bill titled “Bill for an Act to Repeal the National Health Insurance Scheme Act, Cap. N42 LFN 2004, and To Enact the National Health Insurance Commission 2013” was led by Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa.
In his lead debate Sen. Okowa said the current Act in place is ineffective adding that investigative studies by the committee reveal that 10 years since the current scheme had been enacted only a minute proportion of the population has benefited from the scheme.
He noted that these beneficiaries are mostly government staff and this does not even cut across all 36 states of the Federation.
He noted that the current Bill being proposed is more detailed. Similarly checks and balances to monitor the new plan have been put in place.
He underscored that the Bill will ensure that health providers through the assistance of respective insurance plans will efficiently discharge its duties. The Bill also has provisions for health fund for poor people.
He added that the Bill’s provision for different insurance schemes includes both private and public. It also covers the conduct of Health Care Providers, Practitioners, penalties amongst other issues.
Describing the Bill as one that holistically identifies the areas lacking in the current Act and tackles them in this new proposed plan, Sen Okowa said the Bill covers pregnant women and little children which is top priority as this group experience loss their lives in high volumes.
Senators who spoke in support of the Bill said the Bill is a necessity so the Nigerian people can access proper health care.
Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu who chaired the session commended Sen. Okowa for his ‘resourcefulness’. He added that since ‘whatever is worth doing is worth doing well’ it is far more important that the quality of delivery is more efficient and that the quality of care given Nigerians is assured. The Bill was referred to the Committee on Health.
On her part, Sen. Nkechi Nwaogu added that having an insurance scheme to fall back on is a good plan. She also added that it should remain as a scheme and not turned into a commission as the Bill suggests.
Sen. Bukar Ibrahim supports the Bill but with some worries including the plan of bringing all the components and schemes under a single umbrella. He argued that this approach rarely works.
Sen. Ahmed Lawal also lent his voice to the debate insisting that as long as the Bill is for the citizens then the issue of cost should not be paramount.
Sen. Chris Ngige supports the Bill and explained how the existing Act is ‘elitist’ as only civil servants benefit and get their contribution deducted directly from their account. This Bill however hopes to expand the scheme to everyone especially the poor.
Sen. Sani Saleh also in support of the Bill added that it will generate jobs in the health sector and the insurance schemes will impact the economic positively through the Banks who will accept contributions via the insurance schemes.
Sen. Smart Adeyemi suring his supporting staemnet commended the plan as good especially as Nigerians have a culture of take their relatives abroad for treatment.
Other senators who spoke in support of the Bill include James manager, Clever Ikisibo, Helen Esuene, Umaru Darihu, Solomon Ewuga and Barnabas Gemeda.
Sen. Okowa returned to the debate to clarify some of the issues that emerged such as the matter of a ‘commission’ or the ‘scheme’. He explained that a commission is required to mange many insurance schemes as oppose to what currently stands which is just a single scheme.
He also explained that the committee avoided amending the current Act as this would mean that every single clause and component of the Act would have been changed because of how ineffective it is.