Delta Governor Wants Healthcare Act Implemented

The Governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has called for a full implementation of the universal healthcare system as encapsulated in the National Health Act 2014.

Okowa said that if the bill is passed into law, it would increase the demand for health services in the state, so he solicited the partnership of the college in attaining of this goal.

Dr. Okowa, who spoke at the 10th Annual All Fellows Congress and Scientific Conference of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, said “an important step in this reorientation process will be a robust health insurance scheme that gives access to affordable and quality health services, backed by an effective legislation.”

Okowa said that “providing affordable, quality and accessible healthcare should be a foremost cardinal policy and programme of any government because national developmental aspirations cannot succeed or be sustained unless adequate attention is paid to the population’s health status.”

 “In synergy with an efficient health financing system, they ensure that quality health service becomes affordable and accessible, with citizens becoming the ultimate beneficiaries.”

The governor stressed the need for a clear national strategy that defines the comprehensive vision of a healthcare system that creates value for both the patient and the healthcare provider, and the processes required to achieve it.

He disclosed that the Executive Bill on Delta State Contributory Health Commission has been forwarded to the House of Assembly, with effort to ensure it is passed into law this year.