The Home of Representatives has urged the Federal Authorities to analysis the operations of telemedicine practitioners throughout the nation.
Telemedicine, which permits video or cellphone appointments between a affected person and their well being care practitioner, advantages each well being and comfort.
The decision of the Home was sequel to the adoption of a movement on ‘Want to research the operations of telemedicine practitioners in Nigeria,’ moved by the representatives of the Port Harcourt Metropolis Federal Constituency, Rivers State, Blessing Amadi, in the course of the plenary session on Wednesday.
Main the talk on the final rules of the movement, the lawmaker famous that “Telemedicine is a fast-growing space of healthcare with vital potential for enhancing entry to healthcare and well-being of individuals by decreasing delays in accessing healthcare as a consequence of time, distance, location.”
Amadi famous that telemedicine “ensures that an individual with restricted entry to care, receives healthcare providers when wanted.”
She additionally famous that telemedicine corporations have been working in Nigeria for a few decade, including that the “Nationwide Well being Act 2014 was signed into regulation to offer a authorized framework for the regulation, improvement and administration of Nigeria’s Well being System.”
The Home, she stated, “is conscious that the authorized framework covers affected person’s security and high quality of care, knowledge safety and privateness, verification of medical licensing and {qualifications}, moral issues masking consent and confidentiality.”
She, nonetheless, lamented that there was no authorized framework for telemedicine operators, including that “some suppliers have been asking for a blueprint/steering whereas some are utilizing the knowledge gathered from the UK.”
This lack of a particular authorized framework for Telemedicine operators, in accordance with the lawmaker, might probably put Nigerians at vital danger.
“Telemedicine has an enormous potential and can profit the nation as a result of scarcity of clinicians to satisfy the calls for within the nation,” she added.
Following the adoption of the movement, the Home urged “the Federal Ministry of Well being and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria to undertake a analysis on the operation of Telemedicine Practitioners in Nigeria.”
It additional mandated the Committee on Healthcare Providers to convene a legislative summit with all stakeholders in Telemedicine and policymakers to facilitate the method of making a authorized framework for Telemedicine operators within the nation and report again inside 4 weeks for additional legislative motion.