The house of representatives has
rejected a bill seeking to prevent public officials from seeking medical
treatment abroad.
The lower legislative chamber
voted against the bill when it came up for debate during Tuesday’s plenary.
They had passed it for second
reading last year.
The bill seeks to “amend the
provisions of the National Health Act, 2014 to regulate international trips for
medical treatment by public officers, to strengthen the health institutions for
efficient service delivery; and for related matters”.
The lawmakers argued that the
legislation breaches the right of the public officials.
The bill sought to amend section
46 of the national health act thus: “(1) A public officer of the Federal
Government shall not embark on medical trip abroad without approval; or be
sponsored for medical check-up, investigation; or treatment abroad at public
expenses except in exceptional cases on the recommendation and referral by the
medical board and which recommendation or referral shall be duly approved by
the Minister or Commissioner as the case may be; or embark on medical trip
abroad unless he satisfactorily proves to the office where the officer is
working, that such ailment cannot be treated in Nigeria.”
Arguing against the bill, Lasun
Yusuf, deputy speaker, said the bill would discriminate against elected
officials.
“This bill is against my
fundamental human right. There are two fundamental wrong in this bill, it is
against human right, and its discriminatory. Do not let us do a debate on this
bill,” he said.
Razak Atunwa from Kwara state
expressed a similar view, suggesting the bill is a move to punish public
officials over the mismanagement of the healthcare sector.
“The fact that I am public
servant does not mean I have given up my right,” he said, adding: “If the
government has failed in providing hospital, we cannot punish someone for it.
The intention is right, but better funding for training of doctors, better funding
for hospitals is the right way to go.”
Mohammed Wase from Plateau state
asked his colleagues to “throw away” the bill.
He said: “I was in hospital in
Nigeria for check-up, and they said I was fine, friends encouraged me to travel
for checkup, I did only to discover that I was not okay.
“I spent three months there, now
you are telling me to get approval… please this bill should be thrown out.
Instead of banning people from travelling, we should create enabling
environment for people to invest in the healthcare sector.”
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