ICYMI: Senate passes bill seeking to provide funding for tertiary healthcare

The senate has passed a bill seeking to establish the tertiary hospital development fund.

The upper legislative chamber passed the bill for third reading on Tuesday after Yahaya Oloriegbe, chairman of the health committee, presented a report in plenary.

While presenting his report on the floor of the senate, Oloriegbe said the bill is aimed at providing funding to enhance the delivery of tertiary healthcare institutions.

The fund will provide and maintain the infrastructure required for tertiary healthcare service delivery, health research, staff training and development across the country, the chairman said.

The senator representing Kwara central said the bill will provide for a chairman and governing board for the fund.

“The bill proposes how the funds will be sourced, thereby eliminating the burden of financing placed on the federal government,” Oloriegbe said.

Section 10 of the bill provides that funding for the organisation will be gotten through a take-off grant provided by the federal government but appropriated by the national assembly.

It will get one percent of petroleum companies tax paid on total barrels of crude oil produced yearly and tax paid on airtime and data sold yearly.

The development fund will get one percent of beverages and breweries companies tax paid on profit yearly declared, cement companies, paint and chemical manufacturing companies, and tobacco companies.