By Chioma Umeha
Hon.
Mohammed Usman, the Deputy Chair, House Committee on Health Services, has
lamented that Nigeria budget has not been able to actualise one per cent
Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) allocation to health as stipulated in the
National Health Act of 2014.
He said that the legislators have been trying to work out the
modality of meeting the allocation to provide for effective health care
services at all levels in the country
since 2016 till date, adding that this may be captured in the 2018
budget.
Hon. Usman said this in Abuja at the Primary
Healthcare Advocacy Civil Society Organisations Learning Dissemination Meeting
organised by Mamaye E4A.
He expressed optimism that with the introduction
of public hearing, CSOs can come and scrutinise the budget.
It would be recalled that the NH Acts states that
one per cent 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 per cent of the revenue be
given to the National Health Insurance Scheme as basic minimum health package
(health for all) while 45 per cent 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.
Similarly, the Executive Secretary of the National
Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) Dr Faisal Shuaib said there is
an improvement from the driving efforts of our various partners. We are achieved a lot with so many
challenges.
According to the NPHCDA Boss, who was represented
at the occasion by Dr. Abdullah in Bulaga Garbage s few states have full
component of PHC.
Speaking also at the event, the NURHI2 Portfolio
Director, Dr. Mojisola Odeku said we started PHC under one roof, but was lost due to lack of leadership and commitment.
Meanwhile, the Country Director, MamayeE4A, Dr.
Tunde Segun in his address of welcome said the ultimate goal of health care is
for effective, efficient and coordinated PHC services can be delivered to the
citizens especially the vulnerable women and children.
According to him, the organisation has supported
Civil Society Organisations in nine states to get involved in advocating for
the implementation of specific pillars of Primary Health care Under one Roof
(PHCUOR) as a novel strategy.
