The passage of the bill on Thursday followed a report presented to the house by the joint committee on Health and Judiciary, Public Petitions, Ethics and Privileges.
The joint committee was co- chaired by Dr Daniel Ogbuabor a member representing Isi-Uzo constituency and Barr Philip Nnamani also a member representing Enugu North.
Ogbuabor noted that the joint committee with the approval and support of the speaker, Chief Edward Ubosi, hosted a two-day residential workshop on the bill for Honourable members, Clerk Heads of Legislative Department and Committee Clerks at De Castle Resorts, GRA, Enugu and the workshop was facilitated by eminent scholars and health systems practitioners.
The most notable argument in the amendment was Section 22; sub-section one which said that the Governor shall appoint a competent medical practitioner with not less than 15 years post qualification experience to be the Hospital Administrator of the Rank of Permanent Secretary.
In his argument, Hon. Chinedu Nwamba a member representing Nsukka East constituency called for the removal of medical practitioner in which he said that an experienced administrator can do the job better than a medical practitioner.
This generated a heated debate on the section 22 among the assembly members which force the Speaker to put it on voice vote for and against then section.
After vote, Nwamba lost the argument with eight members as against nine who supported the joint committee’s report.
The bill was read the third time in the house and the house unanimously accepted the committee reports before the speaker passed it into law.
The seating was adjourned till July 4, 2017.
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