A new health reform bill that will reposition the nation’s health sector for improved delivery of specified objectives to Nigerians will be in the works soon, pending a comprehensive committee report assessment and a complete policy document appraisal.
At the completion of the two-day Presidential Health Reform Committee Retreat in Abuja yesterday, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, made this statement, saying that “in two days you have achieved some concrete findings.”
“The following procedures are to complete subcommittee reports for the entire committee’s approval and to create a comprehensive committee report to serve as a guide for crafting the policy document. Prof. Osinbajo said Tuesday that a health reform bill would then be written.
The Vice President then expressed gratitude to the Committee for their labor of love and noted that “in two days you have reached some concrete conclusions.”
Additionally, he underlined the Buhari Administration’s dedication to seeing that the reform goals are accomplished.
The Vice President stressed earlier, at the retreat’s opening on Monday, that the Federal Government’s ongoing efforts to reform Nigeria’s healthcare delivery system must involve cooperation between various governmental levels and the private sector to ensure successful implementation of reforms that will meet the needs of Nigerians in the twenty-first century.
Recall that in September 2021, President Muhammadu Buhari authorized the creation of a Health Sector Reform Committee and named the Vice President as its chair. The Committee was formally established by the VP in January 2022.
The retreat was attended by Senator Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, as well as the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, who is a member of the committee as well.
The Emir of Shonga, HRH, Dr. Haliru Yahaya, Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr. Alex Okoh, Director-General of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Mr. Tunde Irukera, Director-General of the Nigerian Center for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa, Former Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Dr. Sani Aliy
Dr. Muhammad Saddiq, Dr. Adedamola Dada, Prof. Uche Amazigbo, Prof. Ibrahim Abubakar, and Prof. Cyril Usifoh were among the others who were in attendance.