The Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Ifeanyi Okowa, on Monday disclosed that the proposed National Health Bill prohibits the sale of human organs, including human zygotes and embryos.
Okowa made this known while addressing issues concerning the bill on Channels Television’s breakfast programme, Sunrise Daily.
The Chairman, Institute of Advanced Research and Training, Dr Phillip Njemanze, had said that the bill was not in the interest of the Nigerian people as it did not make room for their consent in the sale of organs. He had also argued that the bill would encourage the killing of about 10 million poor Nigerian women who would be willing donate their ovaries for a stipend as encouraged by the bill.
However, Okowa debunked the disturbing claims stating; “I think he has a complete misunderstanding of the bill which had the highest attendance in the history of the Senate”.
“Issues were discussed because there was a particular clause which was provided in the old bill that was contentious. So, it was actually discussed by all manner of persons including those in the research industry, including those from the faith-based groups, the Catholic Bishops Associations and many other persons. Traditional institutions were there and we did agree at the end that we were prohibiting the sale of organs; we are prohibiting the sale of human zygotes and embryos.”
Mr Okowa went further stated: “I presume that the bill he was talking about was not the bill as presented to the plenary in Senate not to even talk about what the Senate did pass”. He assured Nigerians that the bill had been cross-checked and agreed upon at the public hearing.
“It says in Section 50, a person shall not manipulate any genetic material including genetic materials of human zygotes and embryos or engage in any activity including nuclear transfer or embryonic splitting for the purpose of cloning of human beings.
“A person shall not import or export human zygotes and embryos.”
He explained that there had been no laws against such activities hence “this is the first basic law that actually provides a framework for the regulation, development and management of the healthcare industry”.
Okowa also addressed issues concerning the standard structure for hospitals, maintaining that “any country in which you decide that there would be no standards at all, then you are definitely heading for the rocks.”
He stressed that the bill was to get rid of quacks but also took consideration of the different levels of the industry including the primary, secondary and tertiary health centres. According to the Senator, there are different recommendations for the different levels.
The National Health Bill is also government’s attempt at barring Nigerian’s from selling their organs. “We don’t want Nigerians beginning to sell their tissue or to sell their organs, so that’s why we’ve had to make it a law trying to restrict Nigerians from trying to ask for money in order to sell their organs.”
