15th December, 2020
By Ummul Idris
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to modify the conditions for accessing the N100 billion Health Intervention Loan.
This is contained in a communiqué issued at the end of its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at Awka, Anambra State.
Prof Innocent Ujah, NMA president, said that the appeal became necessary given the current state of the nation’s health sector as revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said that the association was saddened by the mounting difficulties faced by its members, especially those in private health organisations, in accessing the CBN health intervention funds.
Ujah called on President Muhammadu Buhari, stakeholders in the financial sector and the people, to prevail on the apex bank to soften and modify the loan conditions.
“As we talk, I am not aware of any doctor that has accessed the fund, even when they have met all the stringent conditions,
“We are appealing to government to prevail on the CBN to ensure that this money is released otherwise it makes no sense’, he added.’
Ujah said that the association planned to visit the CBN governor, Godwin Emefule, to present their case on the inaccessibility of the funds to their members.
“We all know that we have worsening health situation in Nigeria as exposed by COVID-19 and if there is an intervention fund, it ought not to have been delayed so long the conditions are met.’’
He said that the council also resolved that governments at all levels, in collaboration with the private sector, should prioritize health sector funding through supplementary appropriation/ budgetary provisions.
“Also we wish to advise Government to procure the vaccines that have been reported to be effective for further research study on Nigerians to confirm their efficacy and safety for the Nigerian populace.’’
“We also call for the establishment of the National Health Bank, to fast-track the infrastructure, procurement of state-of-the-art equipment with which to provide world-class health care for Nigerians, in order to reverse Medical tourism.
“We also resolved to continue to strategically engage appropriate quarters to achieve the implementation of the extension of retirement age for medical and dental practitioners in Nigeria to 65 years”, the NMA president said.
NAN