E-health bill scales second reading in Senate

The Senate on Wednesday began the process of establishing a comprehensive legal and regulatory framework for the development, coordination and integration of electronic health services in Nigeria by passing for second reading a bill sponsored by Senator Barau Jibrin.

Leading the debate on the bill, which seeks to provide a comprehensive legal and regulatory framework for the development, coordination and integration of electronic health services in Nigeria and for related matters, Barau said countries around the world are increasingly adopting electronic medical records, telemedicine platforms, artificial intelligence, mobile health applications, electronic prescriptions, wearable health technologies and integrated health information systems to improve efficiency and the quality of healthcare delivery.
He stressed that Nigeria must keep pace with the global trend, noting that the country cannot afford to remain on the margins of the ongoing digital transformation. According to him, despite significant investments in healthcare infrastructure and reforms over the years, the nation’s healthcare delivery system continues to face enormous challenges. He observed that medical records remain largely paper-based, leading to the loss of patient information, duplication of diagnostic tests, delayed treatment and avoidable medical errors.
Barau said the COVID-19 pandemic clearly demonstrated that digital health technologies are no longer optional but essential for building resilient healthcare systems. He noted that telemedicine, remote consultations and electronic health information systems became indispensable during the pandemic by ensuring continuity of healthcare services while reducing unnecessary physical contact. However, he lamented that despite the growing adoption of digital health solutions by hospitals, private healthcare providers and technology companies, Nigeria still lacks a comprehensive legal framework to regulate electronic healthcare services.
According to him, the absence of clear legislation has resulted in fragmented implementation, inconsistent standards, inadequate interoperability, weak governance structures and uncertainty over the legal responsibilities of healthcare providers operating digital platforms. He added that the bill aligns with the Federal Government’s digital transformation agenda, the National Digital Health Strategic Framework, the National Health Act, Universal Health Coverage objectives, the Nigeria Data Protection Act and Nigeria’s commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 3 on Good Health and Well-being and Goal 9 on Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure.
Following extensive debate by senators, the Senate passed the bill for second reading and referred it to its Committee on Health for further legislative work, directing the committee to report back within four weeks.