The House of Representatives has directed its relevant committees to work with government agencies to improve alternative healthcare services in the country.
This came after a motion by Rep. Balarabe Kakale (APC-Sokoto) was unanimously approved in plenary on Thursday.
Moving the motion, Kakale stated that the COVID–19 outbreak has revealed Nigeria’s over-reliance on imported medicines and other health-related services.
He stated that the scarcity of these had increased awareness for locally sourced health solutions, with more Nigerians demanding homegrown, accessible, and affordable health care services.
“Failure to strengthen and adequately utilize alternative medicines in the country jeopardizes the sustainability of domestic structures, denies Nigerians the opportunity to test their usefulness in the prevention and cure of various ailments, and results in resource waste.”
“Aware that evidence has shown that Nigeria, in particular, has a plethora of medicinal plants that have been scientifically proven to have enormous health benefits, but the country has failed to effectively use them.”
Concerns have also been raised about the lack of a sustainable domestic approach to healthcare delivery, which has resulted in a weak healthcare system in the country, particularly in efforts to combat COVID–19 and other epidemics.
“I’m concerned that over-reliance on foreign medicine has created a gap in Nigeria’s healthcare system, limiting access to other effective forms of treatment and leaving citizens vulnerable to various diseases,” he said.
The Deputy Speaker, Rep. Ahmed Wase, mandated eight house committees to ensure compliance and report back within four weeks for further legislative actions in his ruling.