By Suleiman Idris, Abuja
Sampson Parker, former Commissioner of Health in Rivers State says non-implementation of the national health policy accounts for the worrisome health care indices in the country. aurochem india
Parker who recently took part in a Public Health Africa Policy Forum at Chatham House, London alongside Nasir El-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State, Segun Mimiko, former Governor of Ekiti State and other prominent players in the health sector said that the national health policy which is now an Act of the Parliament has remained unimplemented more than three years after it was signed into law.
He said, “During my tenure as a Commissioner of Health in Rivers State and a member of National Council on Health, the health policy document that we came up with, the Senate had passed it,” Parker told Elendu Reports.
“It is an Act of Parliament right now. And in there, we made provisions for funding of the health care, we made provision for making health insurance a mandatory policy, just as it is mandatory that of you get a car, you must insure it, so also it is mandatory that every citizen of Nigeria should have health care policy coverage.
“Also, in that policy, it is written that 1 percent of the consolidated revenue fund should be set aside for primary health care and universal coverage of health care in Nigeria to fund.
All these are not being done till this moment. The policy has not been implemented; funds are not being released.”
He said stakeholders at the Forum agreed that government should not only establish primary health care in the country but also establish policy of universal health coverage noting that “it is written in the policy document for every citizen of Nigeria and proper funding.”
Parker said Primary health care is the main issue about Nigeria health care policy. “That’s the foundation of health care, without good primary health care coverage, I don’t think no matter how many modern buildings you put up will touch the life of the people.”
