Nigerian Healthcare Professionals Raise Concerns over Government’s Proposed Regulations

A recent statement from the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has expressed concerns over the Federal Government’s plan to introduce new regulations for healthcare facilities in Nigeria. The ACPN claims that the proposed reforms are unnecessary and could be counterproductive.

According to ACPN’s Chairman and Secretary, Ambrose Eze and Omokhafe Ashore, the existing National Health Act of 2014, if fully implemented, could effectively address the problem of unregulated and substandard healthcare facilities. The Pharmacists stressed that they share the enthusiasm of the Health Minister to deal with the menace of unregulated and substandard health facilities but said it must be done in tandem with existing Acts of Parliament and logically the 1999 Constitution.

The ACPN also highlighted the issue of underfunding of existing regulatory agencies in healthcare, stating that the extremely wretched funding of these agencies has contributed to the problem of substandard healthcare facilities. The statement also referenced a recent incident where an inexperienced and ill-tempered former Director General of the Budget Office almost destabilized the health sector by removing the 15 professional regulatory councils from the Appropriation Act of the Federal Government.

The Pharmacists further advised the Federal Government to exercise discretion, citing the government’s apparent inability to provide sufficient funding for existing regulatory councils while simultaneously proposing to establish a new National Health Regulatory facility. According to ACPN, this move would be wasteful and inefficient.

The proposed regulations have sparked concerns among Nigerian healthcare professionals, who are urging the government to reconsider its approach and work towards implementing existing health legislation to improve the country’s healthcare system.

Healthcare reform is a pressing issue in Nigeria, where substandard healthcare facilities have been a major concern for many years. The government’s proposal to introduce new regulations has sparked debate among healthcare professionals and stakeholders, with many calling for a more comprehensive approach to addressing the issues plaguing the sector.