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Tunde Omolehin, Sokoto
Sokoto State House of Assembly is promoting a bill for a law that will regulate operations of private healthcare facilities in the state, for a required minimum standard.
The facilities will include private owned hospitals, clinics, maternity homes, dental clinics, optical centres, medical laboratories physiotherapy clinics, radios, and diagnostic centres.
Speaking at a stakeholders meeting to deliberate on the bill, the Chairman House Committee on Health, Hon Ibrahim Sarki noted that the law became neccessay due to mismanagement of healthcare facilities, especially in the private sector.
Sarki who was represented by Hon. Atiku Liman said: “we decided to step in by have a law that will empower a unit in the ministry of health to regulate and supervise the operations of these facilities by private individuals.”
He said the unit to be headed by an officer not below the rank of a deputy director in the ministry of health will empowers in setting the required minimum standard for operations of private healthcare facilities as well as issue registration process, inspect and accredited any premises to be registered as a healthcare facility.
Also speaking, State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Ali Inname praised the House for coming up with such a regulatory law saying “its will raises the standard of healthcare delivery in the state.”
The Commissioner noted that, the law if put in place will no doubt assist the ministry to further raise the standard of healthcare facilities across the state.
He however urged the House to include penalties of some envisage offenses that are committed frequently, especially the use of fake medical practitioners for operations in the private healthcare facilities.
Stakeholders at the meeting include Representatives of Civil Society Organizations, WHO, UNICEF, Ministry of Health and International Republican Institute (IRI).
The meeting was organized by the House Committee on Health with the support of International Republican Institute (IRI).
