A bill for a law to provide funds and regulate approved faith-based health institutions in Plateau and other matters connected 2020 has passed second reading at the State House of Assembly on Thursday.
Mr Nanbol Daniel, who presented the bill on behalf of co-sponsors, said that the faith-based organisations were trusted entities within many communities.
He said that the faith-based organisations provided good services and had served as powerful vehicles for social, economic and political change.
“In the same vein, health care organisations that are community-based deliver high-quality, patient-sensitive medical care along with a host of other enabling services to diverse needy populations.
“This is to ensure health systems in Plateau are strengthened and geared toward achieving health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS).
“This will give them capacity to provide quality services to our constituents in very hard-to-reach areas.
“The bill will also enable government to register and regulate these faith-based health institutions to complement government health services in the state.
Daniel, who is the House Committee Chairman on Health, added that the institutions would be well coordinated through the bill and would provide Government with health data to support policy development.
He said that it would also promote health education in the various communities the institutions were located and support government during disease outbreaks just the way they had been doing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The lawmaker stressed that government would also allocate a particular percentage of fund in this partnership business to support these faith-based health institutions.
He called on his colleagues to support the bill as it would strengthen the health system in the state.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the bill was sponsored by Nanbol Daniel, Abok Ayuba, Saleh Yipmong, Baba Hassan, Peter Gyendeng, Musa Avia, Bala Fwangje, Gwottson D. Fom, Timothy Dantong and Naanlong G. Daniel
