NSHA moves to tackle girls child health issues, holds public hearing on two bills

By David Odama

Worried by the health related issues confronting girls child in Nasarawa state, State House of Assembly has said it is set to conduct public hearing on Two bills to enable it get inputs from relevant stakeholders and the public before passing the bills into law.

A statement by the Chairman House Committee on health Hon. Larry Ven-Bawa and made available to TMSNEWS in Lafia on Sunday, said the house is currently working on a Executive bill asa well as a private member bill.

To this end, the house is calling on relevant stakeholders, members of the public for an inputs to enable them fine tune the two bills meant to address the prevailing girls child health situation in the state.

According to the statement, the first public hearing is to hold on Wednesday, the 30th of October on a private bill sponsored by Hon. Hajarat Danyaro Ibrahim which is the bill for a law to provide for free menstrual hygiene products for girls in Nasarawa State public schools by the state government.

Others according to the statement are the State Health Insurance Scheme, State Infections and Disease Research Center, State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, the state coordinator Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment AGILE and Nasarawa State Menstrual Hygiene Focal Person as well as interested unions, groups and individuals.

Similarly, the statement revealed that the second public hearing will be conducted on Thursday this week, the 31st of October on an Executive bill which is a bill for a law to Establish Nasarawa State Private Health Institutions Management Agency charged with the responsibilities of regulating private health facilities and training institutions, licensing and supervision of health services in the state.

The statement which gave the time for the public hearing as 10 O’clock in the morning called for submission of 10 copies of memorandum and appearing for oral defense from the state commissioner for Health, CMD Federal University Lafia Teaching Hospital, CMD Hospital Management Board, State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, State Health Insurance Scheme and Provost College of Nursing Lafia.

The statement however called for submission of 20 copies of memorandum and appearance for oral defense by the state commissioners for health, education and women affairs as well as the CMD Federal University Lafia Teaching Hospital and the CMD of Hospital management Board.

Others are Provost College of Health Technology Keffi, State Drugs and Supply Management Agency, State Aids Control Agency, State Infections Disease and Research Center, unions of the private health establishments as well as interested groups and individuals.