Lab Scientist wants establishment of National Health Trust Fund

 A medical laboratory scientist, Dr Solomon Chollom, has called on the Federal Government to establish a National Health Trust Fund.

Chollom made the call  in an interview on Monday in Jos.

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According to him, the National Health Trust Fund will bring transformative innovations in the health sector, just like the way Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TET Fund) is helping tertiary educational institutions in various innovative efforts  and in upgrading their physical and intellectual capacities and structures.

He said there was an urgent need for a National Health Trust Fund in view of the decaying infrastructure in the health sector across the country and the overwhelming threat of emerging and re-emerging health emergencies.

“I strongly propose that the federal government considers the establishment of a National Health Fund which will bring about transformative innovations in the health sector.

“It will  support infrastructure, human capacity development and the provision of consumables in the health sector,” the scientist said.

According to him, a National Health Trust Fund will  perform better than the existing National Health Bill 2014 which,he said , has struggled to find its foot.

He suggested  that the Fund should be funded the same way the TET fund was  being funded.

According to Chollom, it is sad  that most government -owned hospitals do not  have a functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MIR) machine.

“The health sector is today in great disarray and needs not just policies but workable ones,” he added.

(NAN)