Senator Lanre Tejuoso, Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, has revealed why the National Assembly, included funding for the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF) in the 2018 Appropriations Bill.

In a press statement delivered to newsmen in Abuja, Senator Tejuoso stated that: “While the Executive did not include the BHCPF in the 2018 Appropriation Bill submitted to the National Assembly, the Senate embarked upon a phenomenal task of ensuring the inclusion of BHCPF in the 2018 appropriation and its effective implementation.

“The Senate mandated its Committee on Appropriation to work out a modality for accommodating the Fund in the 2018 appropriation. The Senate Committee on Health through the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to the Legislative Network on Universal Health Care (UHC) held series of sensitization, capacity building and media parleys to galvanize support towards implementation of the BHCPF and reiterate the commitment of the National Assembly towards the cause.”

Tejuoso added that the push to ensure that there was increased funding in the 2018 budget was a clear demonstration of the commitment and responsiveness of the 8th Senate, under the leadership of Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, the Senate President, who is also a medical doctor, to ensure that the healthcare needs of Nigerians are met.

“I am happy to inform you that the Senate President and the Senate Committee on Health have lived up to their promise to Nigerians by including the BHCPF in the 2018 Appropriation Bill. By this important milestone, we have demonstrated our collective and sustained will to harness and align our human and other resources towards transforming the health landscape in Nigeria.

“We have to remain vigilant to ensure that nothing scuttles our collective will towards actualising the dream of affordable universal health care for all Nigerians. It is my vision that one day, Nigeria health care system will be a model for other African countries and the country will be a reputable destination for medical tourism,” the Senator representing Ogun Central said.

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