Lagos State House of Assembly has intensified efforts to strengthen the state’s healthcare sector with the amendment of the Healthcare Bill.
The bill seeks to expand the provision of training and retraining facilities for health workers.
The bill titled; ‘A Law to Repeal and Re-enact the Lagos State College of Health Technology and for Connected Purposes, with 54 sections’, went through public hearing organised at the assembly’s premises recently.
Deputy Speaker of the House, Wasiu Eshilokun-Sanni, who represented the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, stated that the essence of the amendment was to make the bill more functional so as to suit the yearnings of the people.
Eshilokun, while citing the happenings in the health sector starting with ebola, COVID-19, among other diseases ravaging the country, said there was need to have adequate human resources that would stand the test of time.
“Nowadays there is a need for us to revisit health facilities across the nation.The Bill is more thorough and defines the functions of the council, members of the academic board, students welfare and who to approve the various schools. Everything is well stated and in tune with modern reality,’ he said.
Speaking, the Chairman of the House Committee on Education (tertiary), Ajani Owolabi stated that the institution has various categories of qualifications and various courses have been approved for them.
“We all know that healthcare is an expensive venture so we need to put everything in place for that. The machinery for the training can be expensive. The school has a provision for that to make it possible for the school to purchase equipment,’ he said.
The Deputy Provost of the institution, Mrs. Rotimi Ayodele said there ought to be provisions for emoluments of the staff of the institution, staff welfare and student union government.
Provost of LASUCOM, Prof. Abiodun Adewuya advised that the issue of disciplining of the student should be part of the jobs of the academic board.