The President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Ahmed Yakassi has reiterated that the one percent Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) provision by the National Assembly for primary healthcare in the 2018 budget will directly benefit the poor in the country.
Yakasai spoke when he led other executive members of PSN on a thank you visit to the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki on behalf of all his colleagues in the 8th National Assembly for facilitating the inclusion of the 1% CRF in the 2018 budget.
He added that the primary healthcare fund will greatly boost the healthcare system, reduce poverty, create jobs and improve the economy of Nigeria.
Yakasai, according to a statement by the Special Assistant to the President of the Senate, on Print Media, Chuks Okocha, said: “Indeed something that gladdened our hearts is the issue of the 1% Consolidated Revenue Fund that the National Assembly has captured in the 2018 budget that was passed recently.
“It will change the landscape of healthcare delivery in Nigeria. It is for the poor because it is so hard financially for the poor to pay for healthcare services out of their pockets.
“It will create jobs. It will reduce poverty. It will bring about economic growth in the country”.
Responding, Saraki said that the essence of the 1% CRF is to improve the standard of the healthcare system in the country.
He explained that the 1% CRF provision for Primary Healthcare will go a long way to reduce the high rate of both maternal and infant mortality in the country.
“Today statistics has shown that 10 per cent of infant and maternal mortality in the world occurs in Nigeria and this is not something that we should be proud of,” Saraki said. “We believe with this kind of provision that would soon become a thing of the past. The fact that only one out of four children in Nigeria receive immunization should not be.”
“In a country like ours every child should receive immunization and we believe that with this provision we made in the 2018 budget, we are really seeking a new nigeria as far as primary healthcare is concerned,” he added.
OWEDE AGBAJILEKE, Abuja
