A bill for an Act to amend the National Health Act, 2014 had scaled through second reading in the House of Representatives.

The Bill proposed seven years jail term and N500 million fine for any Public Officer of the Government of the Federation or any part thereof, seeking undue medical check-up or treatment abroad.

The Bill sponsored by Sergius Ogun of Edo State, seeks to amend the Principal Act (National Health Act, 2014) to make provision for sanctions against any public officer who violates the provisions of the law.

Ogun said the Bill, if passed into law, will curtail the excessive foreign medical trips embarked upon by public officers and encourage attention to develop the poor state of the country’s health sector, as well as improved renumeration for Medical Doctors.

Section 46 of the National Health Act,2014 provides: “Without prejudice to the right of any Nigerian to seek medical check-up, investigation or treatment anywhere within and outside Nigeria, no public officer of the Government of the Federation or any part thereof shall be sponsored for medical check-up, investigation or treatment abroad at public expense except in exceptional cases on the recommendation and referral by the medical board and which recommendation and referral shall be duly approved by the Minister or Commissioner of health of the State as the case may be.”

Meanwhile, clause 2(2) of the proposed amendment provides; “Any public officer of the Government of the Federation or any part thereof who violates the provision above shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine of N500,000,000 or to an imprisonment term of seven years, or both.”

“This Bill will stop the export of cash abroad and redirect the same to the development of our economy. This cash which flies abroad in the disguise of one medical trip or the other will be retained here in our country and be used to develop our nation.”

“The poor attention being given to the country’s health sector, accounts for this and has resulted in a shortage of medical Doctors in the country.”

“This bill, when passed into law, will demonstrate the government’s commitment to the welfare of her citizens in the sense that funds which were hitherto expended in foreign medical trips will be redirected into building an efficient and effective health care system in the country. This will in turn positively impact the lives and wellbeing of the people,” Ogun stated.