Princewill Odidi|5 April 2016|4:49am
President Muhammadu Buhari recently been reported to have directed that government health institutions should hence give priority to emergency situations calling for their attention rather going by the norm of seeking registration before they are attended to. Cross River development consultant and social commentator, Princewill Odidi, has lauded this initiative as a 'welcome development'.
However, the writer has further made some important suggestions that will enhance the proper implementation of this Executive directive. Odidi particularly observes that this directive by Buhari should have a legislation from the National Assembly to give it force, otherwise according to him, it will be 'a mere political statement'. Read more of what Odidi said on his social media account.
*On The Feds Directive on Medical Attention for Emergencies —By Princewill Odidi
The federal government's directive that public hospitals should attend to patients on emergency situations before requesting for payments is a welcome development. While we applaud this gesture, the question is how sustainable is this directive on the long term.
First, directives only become adhered to when they are backed up by law. The poor state of facilities in public hospitals today which is a reflection of poor management, theft and corruption, the adherence of such a policy without adequate funding arrangements, grants and other support would make the directive a mere political statement.
My suggestion to government:
Rather than a directive which may fail and to which it would lack the moral justification to enforce due to poor funding, I would suggest that an enabling legislation be enacted to make it a right of the individual to be provided medical attention during emergencies by both public and private hospitals, not public only.
And in the spirit of free enterprise, the government should establish insurance, grants and tax breaks to participating hospitals to cover their losses. In the same vein, there is need for enabling legislation to criminalize non compliance by physicians who to fail to adhere to the legislation.
Why I call for an enabling law by legislation is because you cannot criminalize a directive that is not backed by law. This is exactly how it is obtained in developed democracies and Nigeria cannot be an exception.
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How does the reader consider Odidi's opinion?
Efio-Ita Nyok
Is a Blogger & the Editor of Negroid Haven