– Says It will worsen healthcare costsMary NnahThe Healthcare Providers’ Association of Nigeria, HACPAN, has rejected the proposed National Health Facility Regulatory Agency of Nigeria Bill, NHFRA, warning it will create more bureaucracy, duplicate existing laws, and ultimately drive up the cost of healthcare for ordinary Nigerians. “While HACPAN strongly supports improved healthcare regulation, higher standards of patient safety, enhanced quality assurance and greater accountability. We respectfully oppose the establishment of the proposed agency in its entirety because it creates unnecessary duplication of existing regulatory structures”, Dr. Aipoh said. “If enacted, healthcare providers may be subjected to multiple inspections, multiple accreditations, multiple certifications, multiple regulatory fees, and overlapping enforcement actions. “Rather than simplifying healthcare regulation, the Bill risks creating additional bureaucracy that will increase compliance costs without necessarily improving patient outcomes.”