By Asma’u Ahmad
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Senator Olanrewaju Tejuoso has called on health practitioners in the country to comply with the National Health Act to prevent medical malpractice claims.
Senator Tejuoso who made the call at a news briefing on “Medical Negligence in Nigeria and Non-Compliance to the National Health Act 2014,” said there is high level of non-compliance to the national health act by Nigerian health facilities and professionals which at times lead to cases of medical malpractice in the country.
He said that the act was signed into law in October 2014 by former President Goodluck Jonathan and it stipulated that there should be a standard certificate issued by the Ministry of Health to every hospital both public and private and renewable annually.
He explained that apart from the standard that the law sought to achieve, the health act also stipulated that the Nigerian budget should offer a minimum percentage of the Consolidated Revenue Fund to health budget.
The committee in collaboration with First Counsel Solicitors was organising the first Nigerian Medical Summit to put the medical practitioners on notice.
Tejuoso explained that the summit was aimed at positioning the leadership of the Nigerian health system on how to prevent legal liabilities.
The summit will be held on December 9 at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.
