The Lagos State House of Assembly has resolved to amend the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic Bill to reflect the regulation of the administration of the vaccines in the state.
The assembly passed the resolution through voice votes, following a motion moved by the Chairman, Ad Hoc Committee on Health, Mr Hakeem Sokunle in Lagos on Monday.
The house said the importance of the recall of the bill earlier passed by the assembly was to reflect the regulation of the administration of the vaccines.
It said it would also regulate administration of the vaccines by both private and public hospitals in the state.
Moving the motion, Sokunle said there was need for the assembly to amend the coronavirus bill earlier passed to regulate its vaccines in the state as people had allegedly started buying different vaccines for the purpose.
“We need to regulate the administration of the vaccines in order to avert futuristic health challenges that may occur as a result of these vaccines,” he said.
In his contribution, Gbolahan Yishawu (Eti-Osa Constituency II) said there was a general knowledge that the only solution to the pandemic was the vaccine and as a result, everyone would be bringing different vaccines into the state.
Yishawu noted that there should be regulation because there were conditions that must be observed to preserve the vaccines.
“We all know that the pandemic has affected the entire world and the solution to the ravaging effect of this is the vaccine.
“Some people are allegedly bringing in the vaccine. But, it has to be regulated and controlled. This vaccine has conditions that must be observed for preservation.
“It is very important because of the new variants of the virus. In Nigeria, there has to be control. I will suggest that we recall the bill to ensure that the administration of the vaccine is brought in,” he said.
Also, Mr Adewale Temitope, representing Ifako-Ijaye Constituency I, also noted that people were buying different kinds of drugs to mitigate the effect of the virus as it had continued to ravage the country.
Temitope harped on the need to regulate those drugs to prevent health hazards,in future, adding that the call to amend the COVID-19 bill was necessary and timely.
“COVID-19 is still ravaging the whole country including the Lagos state and people are still buying different kinds of drugs to mitigate its effect.
“There is the need to regulate the drugs and medicine believed to nullify the effect of the pandemic in order to prevent futuristic health problems.
“Hence, we need to amendthis bill in order to tie the loose ends and add the administration of the vaccine,” he said.
Tobun Abiodun, representing Epe Constituency II, described the act of importing vaccines into the country without regulation as an aberration.
Abiodun stated that the house should look into it to avoid endangering the lives of the people of Lagos state.
He added that there was need to be meticulous over the bill to prevent some unscrupulous persons from making business at the detriment of residents.
The Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa embraced the motion of the prime mover on the need to regulate administration of the vaccine by private and public hospitals.
Obasa, therefore, urged the committee to discuss with the Attorney-General of the State, Mr Adeniji Kazeem on the issue.
“I quite agree with the chairman on the need to regulate and monitor the administration of the vaccine in the state by both private and public hospitals. (NAN)
