NHB: Elumelu seek bill passage as Avon inaugurates dialysis centre

TONY Elumelu, the Chairman of Hiers Holdings Plc has urged the legislative arm of the government to give quick passage to the National Health Bill as transforming lives of Nigerians starts with health.

Speaking at the launching of Avon Dialysis Centre in Lagos, Elumelu noted that the passage of the Health Bill into law would go a long way in alleviating health challenges faced in the country.

“Health care delivery starts with affordability. For it to be affordable, we need to deal with the demand side. Supply is influenced significantly by the demand if not backed up by revenue.

If we pass the health bill and increase the national health insurance contribution from less than five per cent of the population to what is in other economies that privatised their health sector, we will be able to provide for the health of people.”

Welcoming guest at the launch of Avon Dialysis Centre, Dr Awele Elumelu, Chief Executive Officer of Avon Medical Services Limited, said the dialysis centre was conceived from desires to fill the wide gap of demands of patients in need of dialysis in the country, while noting that according to reports, 25 million people in the country are living the chronic kidney disease of which most are at the latter stage.

She, therefore, urged more private investment in the health sector as there are huge gaps to be filled in order to cater to the health being of Nigerians.

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Lagos Commissioner of Health, Jide Idris, represented by the Medical Director of Egbeda General Hospital, Dr Tayo Lawal, while appreciating Dr Elumelu and the entire team for the work done, noted eight to ten per cent of admissions in the state health facilities are usually end-stage kidney related disease, which places huge burden on the health practitioners in the state facilities.

He also urged more private-public partnership in the health sector, while noting that patients in the end-stage of kidney disease require three dialyses in a week, which costs nothing less than N75,000.