The bill which will regulate, develop and manage the country’s National Health System scaled through second reading on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday and it was subsequently referred to the Committee on Health for further legislative work.

Disturbed by the decline in the health care delivery system in the country, the Senate is set to pass a bill for an Act to provide a framework for the regulation, development and management of a National Health System and set standards for rendering health services in the country to sanitize the health sector.

In his lead debate, the Chairman of Senate Committee on Health and sponsor of the bill, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa said the health industry has been left unregulated without norms and standards.

He added that the bill when passed will improve the quality of lives of the citizens.

The bill enjoyed the support of majority of lawmakers as other lawmakers that joined the debate admitted that inadequate health system infrastructure, poor service delivery and lack of skills are some of the problems confronting Nigeria’s health care sector.

With maternal mortality rate of 545 per 100,000 live births, an under five mortality rate that is one of the worst in the world, and Nigeria having the fourth highest tuberculosis burden in the world, the bill to regulate the country’s health industry is long overdue.