President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has disclosed that the National Assembly will ensure that one per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) is set aside in the 2018 Budget, to boost the provision of basic primary healthcare services across the country.
Saraki, who disclosed this at the 58th Annual General and Scientific Conference of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), yesterday in Abuja, said the funds would enable the federal government to provide and fund quality basic healthcare services for the benefit of Nigerians when the 2018 Appropriation Bill “becomes Law.”
The Senate president further revealed that once this one per cent is put into law, the legislators will embark on the next stage, “which will be to ensure that we get value for money, for transparency in the use of the funds.” He said: “Since the eighth Senate, I made a promise with the commitment and support of my colleagues that we will deliver a gift to Nigerians on the issue of universal health coverage.
“I am very confident that the appropriation bill that will come out in the next few days will have one per cent coverage in the house. To us, in the National Assembly, this is key to addressing the health sector.
We hope that by the time the bill is passed, you will have that one per cent.” Continuing, he said: “It is a promise that we have made to Nigerians, and one that we are determined to keep.
In July last year, I launched the Legislative Network for Universal Health Coverage and urged the federal government to honour the Abuja Declaration (2001), while calling for full implementation of the National Health Act 2014.
“Therefore, there is no better place than here today, to announce that the issue of funding will be attended to in our budgetary review of the 2018 Appropriations Bill.” He urged NMA to work closely with the government to ensure proper utilisation of the funds
