A Bill to amend the Sickle Cell Centre Law 2005 scaled through second reading at the Edo House of Assembly in Benin on Tuesday.
Leading the debate on the bill, the Majority Leader of the house, Mr Foly Ogedengbe, said that the sickle cell law, if amended, would strengthen the centre.
Ogedengbe explained that the bill sought to introduce 24-hour services in the centre as against the public service working hours services rendered to patients.
He suggested that the centre should be headed by a chief medical director instead of a secretary.
According to him, the amendment seeks to address the inadequacies in the principal law and make the centre to be more effective.
In her contribution, the Deputy Speaker, Mrs Elizabeth Ativie, said that making provision for a CMD to manage the centre would make the centre more productive and effective.
“The proposed 24-hour service is a very welcome idea because that was the vision of the founders of the centre,” she said.
Other lawmakers supported the amendment of the bill.
The majority leader, thereafter, moved that the bill be passed having gone through the second reading. The motion was unanimously supported by members present.
The Speaker, Justin Okonoboh, therefore, referred the bill to the Committee on Health. (NAN)
NY/MNA/OPI