Philip Njemanze, a medical doctor and Chairman, Global Prolife Alliance, (GPA), says that the National Health Act 2014, “provides the legal framework to close all Nigerian owned hospitals”
Speaking in an interview with newsmen, Njemanze alleged that Nigerian hospitals, private, public, mission and Islamic were supposed to be closed down, 24 months from the date the NHAct 2014 was signed on 31st October, 2014.
He said the closure of the existing Nigerian hospitals is based on NHAct 2014, section 13
He explained further “Section 13: (1) Without being in possession of a Certificate of Standards, a person, entity, government or organization shall not :- (a) establish, construct, modify or acquire a health establishment, health agency or health technology;
(b) increase the number of beds in, or acquire prescribed health technology at a health establishment or health agency;
(c) provide prescribed health services; or
(d) continue to operate a health establishment, health agency or health technology after the expiration of 24 months from the date this Bill took effect.
(2) The Certificate of Standards referred to in subsection (1) of this section may be obtained by application in prescribed manner from the appropriate body of government where the facility is located. In the case of tertiary institutions the appropriate authority shall be the National Tertiary Health Institutions Standards Committee, acting through the Federal Ministry of Health.
Definition: ‘‘certificate of standards’’ means a certificate under section 13.
However, the standards include stringent architectural and engineering standards, that are not met by current buildings for hospitals in Nigeria. On that basis, no certificate of standards would be issued to Nigerian hospitals, which are not part of the Cartel network” Njemanze stated.
