Insufficient Budgetary Allocation to Health Sector A DIsaster – NMA

The Nigerian Medical Association has  called on the National Assembly to  “mitigate this looming disaster in the health sector in 2016,” saying that the N221.7bn given to the sector in the 2016 Appropriation Bill portends disaster.

The association said that it is a sharp departure from the prescribed 15 per cent of the national budget allocated to the health sector in 2001 during a meeting of African Heads of State and Government which Nigeria hosted in Abuja.

According to the President, Dr. Kayode Obembe, and Secretary-General, Dr. Adewunmi Alayaki, the deviation had posed a huge moral burden on the country in going against her own avowed commitment despite the emerging challenges and resultant burgeoning demands from the sector. He believes that the markedly diminished allocation of 3.65 per cent in the 2016 budget would never encourage the advancement of Universal Health Coverage.

The NMA said the World Bank had reveal that the 2016 federal budget only provided for N1,448.00 ($7.55 at $1=197) representing a drop from N1,546.00 in 2015 and N1,653.00 in 2014.

“This presents a precarious situation as all other contributions from state and local governments; donor agencies and other sources cannot bridge the deficit of N5,460.00 in this regard. It is on this premise that we call on the National Assembly as the only organ that can mitigate this looming disaster in the health care delivery sector in 2016 at this juncture, to look dispassionately without any partisan sentiments at what should be done to substantially increase the allocation to the health ministry in order to deliver better health care to the Nigerian people,” the NMA stated.