By Asma’u Ahmad
Bauchi State Governor, Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar has signed four health bills into laws for the revitalisation and sustainable development of the health sector in the state.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Zuwaira Hassan, said this on Thursday at the public presentation of the laws in Bauchi.
“Governor Abubakar for the first time signed four bills passed in to law by the Bauchi State House of Assembly,” she said.
According to her, the laws are critical to the health sector revitalisation and sustainable development.
Dr Zuwaira listed the laws as establishing of the Directorate of Medical Laboratory Services in the state Ministry of Health, and Hospitals Management Board Bauchi.
Other bills signed into laws are Traditional Medicine Board to regulate the practice of traditional medicine, and register practitioners and licence practitioners.
According to her, the governor also signed into law the establishment of the Bauchi State Health Contributory Management Agency and the law for the establishment of Bauchi State Health Trust Fund (BHETFUND).
The commissioner explained that BHETFUND would be responsible for the collection, management and disbursement of funds to public health institutions.
She said the fund would be generated from sources but not limited to five per cent of the monthly internally generated revenue of the state.
“One per cent from the statutory allocation of each of the local government councils and another one per cent from the amount of all contracts awarded by state and local government councils in the state,” she said.
She stressed that the law would ensure sustainable financing of the health sector in the state.
Earlier, the Chairman, Board of Trustees of Community Health and Research Initiative (CHR), Dr Aminu Magashi Garba, commended the Bauchi state government for providing laws that would strengthen the healthcare sector.
