By Bill W. Cooper
An Act seeking to establish a National Healthcare for Financing of Mental Healthcare, Tuberculosis and Diabetes has been submitted for passage.
The Act which was submitted by Bong County District# 5 Representative, Edward Karfiah, when enacted shall be referred to as a National Healthcare Fund Act of 2022.
In his communication, the Act, when passed into law will generate revenues, excise tax, levies tax on tobacco and alcohol and their related products including excise tax stamps collection which he said will help finance Healthcare of these tropical products.
According to the Bong County lawmaker, these funds when generated shall be targeted to financing treatment and improving infrastructure, technology and equipment, as well as supporting of Human resources and benefits of workers dealing with tuberculosis, diabetes and Mental Healthcare among others.
“Mr. Speaker and colleagues, it is now time that we as leaders of this country take the necessary action to safeguard the future of this nation. More to that mental health issue has now turned into a national tragedy but with little or no consideration to mental budgetary allocation,” Rep. Karfiah stated.
“So, if this Act is endorsed, the National Healthcare fund shall constitute revenues, fees and charges generated from excise tax levies on tobacco and alcohol and their related products, including excise tax stamps collections to finance mental health, tuberculosis and diabetes,” he intoned.
The Bong County lawmaker further maintained that tuberculosis affects the Liberian population due to lower capacity of its healthcare systems, and that tuberculosis is the eighth leading cause of death in Liberia, which according to him affects over 300 people per 100,000.
“Diabetes has also become prevalent in adults’ population with the estimated cases of 5.6 percent of its population, so the National Healthcare fund shall provide greater access to medical treatment and preventive care for tuberculosis, diabetes and mental Healthcare medical conditions by making pharmaceutical and medical supplies accessible and available to government-owned health facilities,” he averred.
Meanwhile, following the reading of the communication, plenary then mandated its committees on Health, Ways, Means Finance and Judiciary to look into the instrument with the mandate to report for full plenary’s action within two weeks.