Implement National Health Act, NGO Calls on FG

By Francis Sardauna in Katsina
A non-governmental organisation, Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), has called on the federal government to implement section 11 of the National Health Act (NHA) by allocating 1 per cent Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) for the implementation of Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF).
The implementation, according to CSJ, if done will enable governors to revitalise Primary Health Care’s infrastructure in their states and provide adequate human resources and equipment to PHCs.
The Programme Officer of CSJ, Victor Emejuiwe, told journalists in Katsina on Wednesday that states have good chances of improving the health status of their citizenry, if some of the lapses identified at the PHCs level can be address by the federal government.
He added: “The states primary health care facilities should be given adequate attention. However, the signing of the primary health care under one roof is a good platform that will harmonise the needs of the PHCs and provide adequate funding with institutional reforms for the proper management of services at that level.”
He admonished the state Ministries of Health to recruit additional staff and made adequate provision for the training and re-training of existing ones in order to avert quackery in the profession.
“This entails that the casual workers and volunteers will be adequately empowered with required skills and compensation,” he said.
The programme officer of the NGO, who  called for the enactment of a mandatory health insurance contributory scheme in the states across the federation, urged state governors to also introduce community-based health insurance scheme with subsidised premiums for vulnerable children, pregnant and nursing mothers to reduce their sufferings.

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