House Committee Seeks Healthcare Partnership

The House of Representatives Committee on Specialty Healthcare is calling for partnership to enhance specialized healthcare delivery in Nigeria.

Chairman of the committee, Alex Egbona made the call at a stakeholders’ roundtable, stressing the need for collaborative efforts to tackle challenges faced by specialized healthcare providers.

According to him, the committee has identified several key areas for partnership, including mental and brain health, trauma and obstetrics fistula, oral health, ear and eye healthcare, blood transfusion and management, traditional, complementary and alternative medicine, and specialty healthcare innovation.

Egbona noted that specialized healthcare providers face common challenges, such as infrastructural decay, lack of medical equipment, poor power supply, and inadequate funding.

He emphasized that specialized hospitals and healthcare centers are often the lowest funded in the health sector budgets.

“The committee is committed to addressing these challenges and improving specialized healthcare delivery in Nigeria,” Egbona said.

“We believe that partnerships with stakeholders are crucial to achieving this goal.”

“The committee’s expected outcomes from these partnerships include improved legal and legislative frameworks, enhanced digital healthcare access, better allocation of resources for mental health services, and increased awareness and reduced stigma for mental health issues.

Stakeholders, including Mr. Michael Idah of the Christian Blind Mission and Rev. Fr. Sebastian Sani of the Justice, Development, Peace Commission, emphasized the importance of considering the needs of vulnerable populations, such as the aged and persons with disabilities.

Mr Idah noted that the aged and persons with disabilities often face significant barriers in accessing healthcare services.

“It is essential that we prioritize their needs and ensure that they have access to quality healthcare services,” he said.

Rev. Fr Sani emphasized the importance of sustainability in the implementation of the legislative activity implementation framework. “We must ensure that the framework is sustainable and that it addresses the needs of all stakeholders,” he said.

The Deputy Chairman, FCT Association of Integrative Medicine Practitioners, Dr. Jackie Ikeotuonye, emphasized the need for regulation in the traditional and complementary medicine sector.

“We need to regulate the sector to ensure that patients receive quality care and to prevent abuse,” she said.

The committee has given stakeholders 10 days to review the legislative activity implementation framework and submit memoranda for implementation.

Oduyemi Odumade, Edited By Blessing Nyor